Ukrainian Forces Hit Russian Oil Refinery With British Storm Shadow Missiles.

In a significant escalation, Ukrainian forces reportedly used long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a major Russian oil refinery. This strike occurred on Thursday, according to the Ukrainian military command.

Details of the Strike and Strategic Impact

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was reportedly hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the location. This represents another instance where Ukraine has deployed these powerful British-supplied missiles against objectives inside Russian soil.

Military spokespersons emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk facility serves as one of the primary providers of fuel products in southern Russia and is directly involved in supplying the military of the Russian Federation.

Political Discussions on the War Front

In a related development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held productive discussions with envoys of former US President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks focused on possible ways to end the war.

“It was 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 approaches, meetings, and, certainly, the timeline.”

Judicial Proceedings Within Russia

In a parallel internal matter, a Russian court has found guilty a activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the Left Front movement, was sentenced to six years in prison.

The charges reportedly stem from an online post Udaltsov shared backing another group of activists charged with forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has denied the charges as politically motivated and, after the sentencing, reportedly announced to begin a hunger strike in defiance.

Foreign Prisoner Case

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

An official 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 monitoring the situation, with all government services mobilised to provide consular support and advocate for his liberation as soon as possible.

Controversial Reopening in Mariupol

A theatre in Mariupol, which was leveled in a 2022 Russian airstrike while hundreds of civilians were sheltering in its cellar, is scheduled to reopen. Authorities in control have promoted the reconstruction as a symbol of recovery.

Conversely, previous staff from the theatre have called the reopening as “a macabre spectacle.” The reconstruction is part of a broader Kremlin effort to showcase its rule in seized territories, a process accompanied by the arrest or exile of dissenting voices and confiscation of assets from local residents.

It is expected to open by the month's end with a show of a Russian fairytale, following its reconstruction almost from scratch over the last 24 months.