Kyiv Strikes Russian Fuel Plant With UK-supplied Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles.

In a significant escalation, Ukrainian forces have employed long-range Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a major Russian oil refinery. This strike occurred on Thursday, according to the country's military command.

Details of the Strike and Military Significance

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was said to be hit, with "numerous explosions" observed at the location. This represents another instance where Ukrainian forces has utilized these advanced British-supplied missiles against targets on Russian soil.

Ukrainian officials emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk plant acts as one of the main providers of petrol products in southern Russia and is directly involved in providing for the military of the Russian Federation.

Political Discussions on the War Front

Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held productive discussions with representatives of ex-President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The conversation centered on possible ways to bring the conflict to a close.

“We had a really good conversation: many details, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy stated on a messaging platform. “There are some new ideas on how to bring real peace closer, and it involves formats, potential summits, and, certainly, the timeline.”

Legal Crackdown Inside the Country

Meanwhile, in a internal matter, a court in Russia has found guilty a pro-war activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the Left Front movement, was sentenced to six years in a penal colony.

The charges reportedly stem from an article Udaltsov shared in support of another group of Russian activists accused of forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as politically motivated and, after the sentencing, stated his intention to begin a hunger strike in protest.

International Detainee Case

The Kremlin indicated it is in contact with French authorities regarding the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher serving a three-year sentence in Russia and allegedly facing additional accusations of espionage.

A spokesperson said that Russia has made an offer to France in the case of Vinatier, and now “it is in France’s court.” French President Emmanuel Macron’s office stated he is monitoring the situation, with all state resources mobilised to provide consular support and advocate for his release as soon as possible.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Occupied City

A theatre in Mariupol, which was destroyed in a devastating bombardment while hundreds of civilians were sheltering in its basement, is set to reopen. Russian occupation authorities have heralded the reconstruction as a symbol of recovery.

However, former actors from the theatre have called the planned opening as “dancing on bones.” The reconstruction is part of a wider Moscow effort to present its rule in seized territories, a process that includes the arrest or exile of critics and confiscation of assets from local residents.

It is due to reopen by the month's end with a show of a Russian fairytale, having been rebuilt largely anew over the past two years.