Ukrainian Forces Hit Moscow's Oil Refinery Using UK-supplied Storm Shadow Missiles.

As part of a notable escalation, Ukrainian forces have employed long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a major Russian oil processing facility. The attack occurred on Thursday, as stated by the Ukrainian military command.

Attack Particulars and Military Significance

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was reportedly hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the site. This marks another instance where Ukrainian forces has deployed these powerful British-supplied missiles against objectives on Russian territory.

Military spokespersons emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk facility serves as one of the primary suppliers of petrol products in Russia's south and is actively engaged in supplying the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

Political Discussions on the War Front

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that he held productive discussions with representatives of former US President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks centered on potential pathways to bring the conflict to a close.

“It was a really good conversation: numerous specifics, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “We explored some fresh concepts on how to move toward real peace closer, and it concerns formats, meetings, and, certainly, the timeline.”

Legal Crackdown Inside the Country

Meanwhile, in a domestic matter, a Russian court has convicted a activist and critic 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 are said to be based on an online post Udaltsov shared in support of another group of activists accused of forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has rejected the allegations as fabricated and, after the sentencing, reportedly announced to begin a hunger strike in defiance.

Foreign Prisoner Case

Russian authorities has stated it is engaged with French officials regarding 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 regarding Vinatier, and now “it is in France’s court.” French President Emmanuel Macron’s office confirmed he is monitoring the situation, with all government services mobilised to provide consular support and advocate for his liberation at the earliest opportunity.

Controversial Reopening in Mariupol

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

Conversely, former actors from the theatre have called the planned opening as “dancing on bones.” The reconstruction is part of a broader Kremlin effort to showcase its administration in occupied Ukraine, a process accompanied by the detention or expulsion of critics and confiscation of assets from local residents.

It is due to reopen by the end of the month with a performance of a classic Russian story, following its reconstruction almost from scratch over the past two years.