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

In a significant escalation, Kyiv's forces have employed British-made Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a key Russian oil refinery. The attack occurred on Thursday, according to the Ukrainian military authorities.

Attack Particulars and Military Significance

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was said to be hit, with "numerous explosions" recorded at the site. This marks another instance where Ukrainian forces has deployed these advanced British-supplied missiles against targets on Russian territory.

Military spokespersons emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk facility acts as one of the primary providers of fuel products in southern Russia and is actively engaged in supplying the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

Political Discussions on the War Front

Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held productive discussions 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 very productive conversation: many details, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy stated on a social media platform. “There are some new ideas on how to move toward real peace closer, and it concerns approaches, meetings, and, certainly, the schedule.”

Judicial Proceedings Within Russia

Meanwhile, in a domestic matter, a Russian court has convicted a pro-war activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the Left Front movement, was given to six years in prison.

The charges reportedly stem from an article Udaltsov published in support of another group of Russian activists charged with forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as fabricated and, after the sentencing, stated his intention to go on a hunger strike in protest.

Foreign Prisoner Case

Russian authorities has stated it is in contact with French officials concerning the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar serving a three-year sentence in Russia and reportedly facing additional accusations of espionage.

An official stated that Russia has made an offer to France in the case of 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 offer assistance and push for his release as soon as possible.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Mariupol

The Mariupol Drama Theatre, which was destroyed in a devastating bombardment while many civilians were sheltering in its basement, is scheduled to open its doors again. Russian occupation authorities have heralded the reconstruction as a symbol of recovery.

Conversely, 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 rule in seized territories, a process that includes the arrest or exile of dissenting voices and confiscation of assets from Ukrainian citizens.

The theatre is expected to open by the end of the month with a show of a classic Russian story, following its reconstruction largely anew over the last 24 months.