Ukrainian Forces Hit Moscow's Fuel Plant With UK-supplied Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles.

In a significant military action, Kyiv's forces have employed British-made Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a key Russian oil processing facility. This strike occurred on Thursday, as stated by the country's military command.

Attack Particulars and Military Significance

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was said to be hit, with "numerous explosions" observed at the site. This represents another instance where Ukraine has utilized these advanced British-supplied missiles to hit targets on Russian territory.

Ukrainian officials emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk facility serves as one of the primary providers of petrol products in southern Russia and is actively engaged in providing for the military of the Russian Federation.

Diplomatic Developments on the War Front

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held “very good” talks with representatives of former US President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The conversation centered on possible ways to end the war.

“We had a really good conversation: many details, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “We explored some fresh concepts on how to bring a genuine peace closer, and it involves formats, potential summits, and, of course, the timeline.”

Legal Crackdown Inside the Country

In a parallel domestic matter, a court in Russia has convicted a pro-war activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the opposition movement, was given to six years in a penal colony.

The charges reportedly stem from an article Udaltsov shared backing another group of activists accused of forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as politically motivated and, after the sentencing, reportedly announced to go on a hunger strike in defiance.

Foreign Prisoner Case

Russian authorities has stated it is in contact with French officials concerning the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher serving a prison term in Russia and allegedly facing new charges of spying.

An official stated that Russia has presented a proposal to France in the case of Vinatier, and now “the ball is in France’s court.” French President Emmanuel Macron’s office confirmed he is monitoring the situation, with all state resources mobilised to offer assistance and push for his liberation at the earliest opportunity.

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 basement, is set to open its doors again. Russian occupation authorities have promoted the rebuilding as a symbol of recovery.

However, former actors from the theatre have denounced the planned opening as “dancing on bones.” This project is part of a broader Moscow effort to present its administration in occupied Ukraine, a process accompanied by the detention or expulsion of critics and confiscation of assets from Ukrainian citizens.

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