Kyiv Strikes Moscow's Oil Refinery With UK-supplied Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles.

As part of a notable military action, Ukrainian forces reportedly used long-range Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a key Russian oil refinery. This strike was carried out Thursday, according to the country's military command.

Attack Particulars and Strategic Impact

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was reportedly hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the location. This represents not the first instance where Ukraine has deployed these powerful British-supplied missiles against targets inside Russian soil.

Ukrainian officials emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk facility serves as one of the main providers of fuel products in Russia's south and is directly involved in supplying the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

Diplomatic Developments on the Conflict

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that he held productive talks with representatives of ex-President Donald Trump, namely Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks focused on potential pathways to bring the conflict to a close.

“It was a really good conversation: many details, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy stated on a messaging platform. “There are some fresh concepts on how to bring a genuine peace closer, and it involves formats, meetings, and, certainly, the schedule.”

Legal Crackdown Within Russia

Meanwhile, in a domestic matter, a court in Russia has convicted a activist and opponent of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the Left Front movement, was sentenced to six years in a penal colony.

The charges reportedly stem from an online post Udaltsov shared in support of another group of activists accused of forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has denied the allegations as fabricated and, following the verdict, stated his intention to go on a hunger strike in protest.

International Detainee Case

The Kremlin indicated it is engaged with French authorities concerning the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar serving a three-year sentence in Russia and reportedly facing new charges of spying.

A spokesperson said that Russia has made an offer to France in the case of Vinatier, and now “it is in France’s court.” President Emmanuel Macron’s office stated he is closely following the situation, with all government services working to provide consular support and advocate for his liberation as soon as possible.

Controversial Reopening in Mariupol

The Mariupol Drama Theatre, which was destroyed in a 2022 Russian airstrike while hundreds of civilians were sheltering in its cellar, is scheduled to open its doors again. Authorities in control have promoted the rebuilding as a symbol of recovery.

Conversely, previous staff from the theatre have called the reopening as “dancing on bones.” The reconstruction is part of a broader Kremlin effort to present its administration in seized territories, a process that includes the detention or expulsion of dissenting voices and confiscation of assets from Ukrainian citizens.

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