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

In a significant escalation, Ukrainian forces reportedly used long-range Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a major Russian oil refinery. This strike was carried out Thursday, according to the country's military command.

Attack Particulars and Strategic Impact

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was reportedly hit, with multiple blasts observed at the location. This represents another instance where Ukrainian forces has utilized these advanced British-supplied missiles to hit objectives inside Russian territory.

Military spokespersons noted that the Novoshakhtinsk facility serves as one of the main suppliers of petrol products in southern Russia and is actively engaged in supplying the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

Diplomatic Developments on the Conflict

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

“It was a very productive conversation: many details, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “We explored some new ideas on how to bring real peace closer, and it concerns formats, potential summits, and, of course, the schedule.”

Legal Crackdown Within Russia

Meanwhile, in a domestic matter, a Russian court has convicted a activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. 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 Russian activists charged with forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has denied the allegations as fabricated and, after the sentencing, reportedly announced to go on a hunger strike in defiance.

International Detainee Case

The Kremlin has stated it is in contact with French officials concerning the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia and allegedly facing new charges of spying.

A spokesperson said that Russia has presented a proposal 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 state resources mobilised to offer assistance and push for his release at the earliest opportunity.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Occupied City

The Mariupol Drama Theatre, which was destroyed in a 2022 Russian airstrike while hundreds of civilians sought refuge in its cellar, is scheduled to reopen. Russian occupation authorities have promoted the rebuilding as a symbol of recovery.

However, previous staff from the theatre have denounced the planned opening as “a macabre spectacle.” The reconstruction is part of a broader Moscow effort to showcase its administration in seized territories, a process accompanied by the detention or expulsion of dissenting voices and property seizures from local residents.

It is due to reopen by the month's end with a show of a classic Russian story, having been rebuilt almost from scratch over the past two years.