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

In a significant military action, Ukrainian forces have employed long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a major Russian oil refinery. This strike was carried out Thursday, according to the country's military command.

Details of the Strike and Military Significance

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was said to be hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the site. This marks not the first instance where Ukrainian forces has deployed these powerful British-supplied missiles against targets inside Russian soil.

Ukrainian officials emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk plant serves as one of the primary suppliers of fuel products in southern Russia and is directly involved in providing for the military of the Russian Federation.

Diplomatic Developments on the Conflict

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that he held “very good” talks with representatives of former US 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 very productive conversation: numerous specifics, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a messaging platform. “There are some new ideas on how to move toward real peace closer, and it concerns formats, potential summits, and, certainly, the timeline.”

Judicial Proceedings Inside the Country

In a parallel domestic matter, a court in Russia has convicted a activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the Left Front movement, was sentenced to six years in prison.

This case reportedly stem from an article Udaltsov published in support of another group of activists charged with forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as politically motivated and, following the verdict, reportedly announced to begin a hunger strike in protest.

International Detainee Case

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

An official said that Russia has made an offer to France regarding Vinatier, and now “it is in France’s court.” French President Emmanuel Macron’s office confirmed he is closely following the situation, with all state resources mobilised to provide consular support and advocate for his release at the earliest opportunity.

Controversial Reopening in Occupied City

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

Conversely, previous staff from the theatre have called the reopening as “dancing on bones.” This project is part of a wider Kremlin effort to present its administration in seized territories, a process accompanied by the detention or expulsion of dissenting voices and property seizures from Ukrainian citizens.

The theatre is expected to open by the month's end with a performance of a classic Russian story, following its reconstruction almost from scratch over the last 24 months.