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

As part of a notable escalation, Ukrainian forces have employed long-range Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a key Russian oil refinery. This strike was carried out Thursday, as stated by the Ukrainian military authorities.

Details of the Strike and Military Significance

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was said to be hit, with "numerous explosions" observed at the location. This marks another instance where Ukrainian forces has deployed these advanced British-supplied missiles against targets inside Russian soil.

Ukrainian officials emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk facility serves as one of the primary suppliers of petrol products in Russia's south and is directly involved in supplying the military of the Russian Federation.

Diplomatic Developments on the Conflict

In a related development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that he held productive talks with representatives 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 very productive conversation: many details, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy stated on a social media platform. “We explored some new ideas on how to move toward a genuine peace closer, and it involves formats, meetings, and, certainly, the timeline.”

Legal Crackdown Within Russia

In a parallel domestic matter, a court in Russia has found guilty a pro-war activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, leader 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 activists accused of 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.

Foreign Prisoner Situation

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

An official said 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 stated he is monitoring the situation, with all state resources working to provide consular support and push for his release as soon as possible.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Occupied City

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

Conversely, previous staff from the theatre have called the planned opening as “a macabre spectacle.” The reconstruction is part of a broader Moscow effort to showcase its rule in occupied Ukraine, a process accompanied by the arrest or exile of critics and confiscation of assets from local residents.

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