Ukrainian Forces Hit Moscow's Fuel Plant With British Storm Shadow Missiles.

In a significant escalation, Kyiv's forces reportedly used British-made Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a key Russian oil processing facility. This strike was carried out Thursday, as stated by the country's military command.

Attack Particulars and Strategic Impact

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was reportedly hit, with "numerous explosions" observed at the site. This marks another instance where Ukraine has deployed these advanced British-supplied missiles against targets on Russian soil.

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

Political Discussions on the War Front

Separately, 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 really good conversation: numerous specifics, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “There are some new ideas on how to bring real peace closer, and it concerns formats, potential summits, and, certainly, the schedule.”

Legal Crackdown Within Russia

Meanwhile, in a internal matter, a court in Russia has found guilty a activist and opponent of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the Left Front movement, was sentenced to six years in a penal colony.

The charges reportedly stem from an online post Udaltsov published in support of another group of Russian activists accused of forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has rejected the allegations as fabricated and, after the sentencing, reportedly announced to begin a hunger strike in protest.

Foreign Prisoner Case

The Kremlin indicated it is engaged with French officials regarding the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia and allegedly facing new charges of espionage.

An official said that Russia has made an offer to France in the case of Vinatier, and now “it is in France’s court.” President Emmanuel Macron’s office stated he is closely following the situation, with all state resources working to provide consular support and push for his liberation at the earliest opportunity.

Controversial Reopening in Mariupol

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

However, previous staff from the theatre have called the reopening as “a macabre spectacle.” This project is part of a wider Moscow effort to present its administration in seized territories, a process accompanied by the arrest or exile of dissenting voices and property seizures from Ukrainian citizens.

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