Kyiv Strikes Russian 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 processing facility. The attack was carried out Thursday, according to the country's military authorities.

Details of the Strike and Strategic Impact

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was said to be hit, with "numerous explosions" observed at the location. This marks another instance where Ukraine has deployed these advanced British-supplied missiles to hit objectives inside Russian territory.

Military spokespersons noted that the Novoshakhtinsk facility serves as one of the main providers of petrol products in Russia's south and is actively engaged 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, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The conversation focused on possible ways to bring the conflict to a close.

“We had a really good conversation: numerous specifics, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “There are some fresh concepts on how to bring real peace closer, and it involves approaches, meetings, and, of course, the timeline.”

Legal Crackdown Within Russia

In a parallel internal matter, a court in Russia has found guilty a pro-war activist and opponent of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the opposition movement, was sentenced to six years in prison.

This case reportedly stem from an online post Udaltsov shared in support of another group of activists charged with forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has rejected the allegations as fabricated and, after the sentencing, stated his intention to go on a hunger strike in protest.

International Detainee Situation

The Kremlin has stated it is engaged with French authorities concerning the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar serving a prison term in Russia and allegedly facing additional accusations of spying.

An official said that Russia has presented a proposal to France regarding Vinatier, and now “the ball 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 push for his liberation as soon as possible.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Occupied City

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. Russian occupation authorities have promoted the reconstruction as a symbol of recovery.

However, former actors from the theatre have denounced the reopening as “dancing on bones.” The reconstruction is part of a broader Kremlin effort to present its administration in seized territories, a process accompanied by the detention or expulsion of critics and confiscation of assets from Ukrainian citizens.

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