Ukrainian Forces Hit Moscow's Oil Refinery With British Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles.

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

Attack Particulars and Strategic Impact

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was said to be hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the location. This marks another instance where Ukraine has deployed these advanced British-supplied missiles against objectives inside Russian soil.

Ukrainian officials noted that the Novoshakhtinsk plant serves as one of the main providers of fuel products in southern Russia and is directly involved in providing for the military of the Russian Federation.

Diplomatic Developments on the Conflict

Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that he held “very good” discussions with envoys of former US President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The conversation focused on potential pathways to bring the conflict to a close.

“We had a really good conversation: numerous specifics, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “We explored some new ideas on how to bring a genuine peace closer, and it concerns formats, potential summits, and, of course, the timeline.”

Legal Crackdown Within Russia

In a parallel internal matter, a court in Russia has convicted a activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the opposition movement, was given to six years in prison.

The charges are said to be based on an article Udaltsov shared backing another group of Russian activists charged with forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as politically motivated and, after the sentencing, stated his intention to begin a hunger strike in defiance.

International Detainee Situation

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

An official stated that Russia has presented a proposal to France in the case of Vinatier, and now “it is in France’s court.” French President Emmanuel Macron’s office confirmed he is closely following the situation, with all state resources mobilised to provide consular support and advocate for his release at the earliest opportunity.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Occupied City

A theatre in Mariupol, which was destroyed in a devastating bombardment while many 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 called the planned opening as “dancing on bones.” This project is part of a broader Kremlin effort to showcase its rule in seized territories, a process that includes the detention or expulsion of dissenting voices and confiscation of assets from Ukrainian citizens.

It is due to reopen by the month's end with a performance of a Russian fairytale, following its reconstruction largely anew over the last 24 months.