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

As part of a notable military action, Kyiv's forces reportedly used long-range Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a key Russian oil refinery. This strike was carried out Thursday, as stated by the country's military authorities.

Attack Particulars and Strategic Impact

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

Military spokespersons noted that the Novoshakhtinsk plant acts as one of the main suppliers of fuel products in Russia's south and is directly involved in providing for the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

Diplomatic Developments on the Conflict

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

“It was a really good conversation: numerous specifics, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “There are some fresh concepts on how to bring a genuine peace closer, and it concerns approaches, meetings, and, certainly, the timeline.”

Judicial Proceedings Within Russia

In a parallel domestic matter, a court in Russia has found guilty a activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the opposition movement, was sentenced to six years in a penal colony.

The charges are said to be based on an online post Udaltsov published in support of another group of Russian activists charged with forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has denied the charges as fabricated and, after the sentencing, reportedly announced to begin a hunger strike in protest.

International Detainee Situation

Russian authorities indicated it is in contact with French authorities regarding the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar serving a prison term in Russia and allegedly facing additional accusations of espionage.

A spokesperson stated that Russia has presented a proposal to France in the case of Vinatier, and now “the ball is in France’s court.” President Emmanuel Macron’s office confirmed he is monitoring the situation, with all government services mobilised to offer assistance and push for his liberation as soon as possible.

Controversial Reopening in Mariupol

A theatre in Mariupol, which was leveled in a 2022 Russian airstrike while hundreds of civilians were sheltering in its cellar, is scheduled to open its doors again. Russian occupation authorities have heralded the reconstruction as a sign of renewal.

However, previous staff from the theatre have called the reopening as “dancing on bones.” The reconstruction is part of a wider Kremlin effort to present its administration in occupied Ukraine, a process that includes the arrest or exile of critics and property seizures from Ukrainian citizens.

The theatre is expected to open by the end of the month with a performance of a classic Russian story, having been rebuilt largely anew over the past two years.