Kyiv Strikes Moscow's Oil Refinery With British Storm Shadow Missiles.

As part of a notable military action, Kyiv's forces have employed long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a major Russian oil refinery. This strike occurred on Thursday, according to the Ukrainian military command.

Details of the Strike and Military Significance

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was reportedly hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the location. This represents not the first instance where Ukrainian forces has utilized these advanced British-supplied missiles to hit targets inside Russian soil.

Military spokespersons emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk plant serves as one of the main suppliers of fuel products in Russia's south and is directly involved in supplying the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

Diplomatic Developments on the War Front

Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held “very good” discussions with representatives of ex-President Donald Trump, namely Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks centered 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 messaging platform. “There are some new ideas on how to bring real peace closer, and it concerns formats, potential summits, and, certainly, the schedule.”

Judicial Proceedings Inside the Country

Meanwhile, in a domestic matter, a Russian court has found guilty a activist and opponent of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the Left Front movement, was sentenced to six years in prison.

This case are said to be based on an online post Udaltsov published backing another group of Russian activists accused of forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as fabricated and, after the sentencing, stated his intention to begin a hunger strike in defiance.

International Detainee Case

Russian authorities has stated it is engaged with French authorities regarding the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia and allegedly facing additional accusations of espionage.

A spokesperson 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 stated he is closely following the situation, with all government services mobilised to offer assistance and advocate 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 cellar, is set to reopen. Russian occupation authorities have heralded the reconstruction as a sign of renewal.

However, previous staff from the theatre have denounced the planned opening as “a macabre spectacle.” This project is part of a broader Kremlin effort to showcase its administration in seized territories, a process that includes the detention or expulsion of dissenting voices and property seizures from Ukrainian citizens.

The theatre is due to reopen by the end of the month with a performance of a classic Russian story, following its reconstruction largely anew over the past two years.