Ukrainian Forces Hit Russian Oil Refinery Using British Storm Shadow Missiles.

In a significant escalation, Ukrainian forces have employed long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a major Russian oil processing facility. The attack was carried out Thursday, according to the Ukrainian military command.

Details of the Strike and Military Significance

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was said to be hit, with "numerous explosions" recorded at the location. This marks not the first instance where Ukraine has utilized these powerful British-supplied missiles against targets on Russian territory.

Ukrainian officials noted that the Novoshakhtinsk plant serves as one of the main suppliers of fuel products in Russia's south and is actively engaged in supplying the military of the Russian Federation.

Diplomatic Developments on the Conflict

Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held “very good” discussions with envoys of ex-President Donald Trump, namely Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks centered on potential pathways to bring the conflict to a close.

“It was a really good conversation: many details, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy stated on a social media platform. “There are some new ideas on how to bring real peace closer, and it concerns approaches, meetings, and, certainly, the schedule.”

Legal Crackdown Inside the Country

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

This case reportedly stem from an article Udaltsov shared backing another group of activists accused of forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has rejected the allegations as politically motivated and, following the verdict, stated his intention to go on a hunger strike in protest.

Foreign Prisoner Case

Russian authorities has stated it is engaged with French authorities concerning the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher currently serving a prison term in Russia and reportedly facing additional accusations of espionage.

A spokesperson stated that Russia has made an offer to France regarding Vinatier, and now “it is in France’s court.” President Emmanuel Macron’s office stated he is monitoring the situation, with all government services working to provide consular support and advocate for his liberation 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 heralded the reconstruction as a symbol of recovery.

However, former actors from the theatre have called the reopening as “dancing on bones.” The reconstruction is part of a wider Kremlin effort to showcase its administration in seized territories, a process that includes the detention or expulsion of dissenting voices and property seizures from local residents.

The theatre 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.