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

As part of a notable escalation, Kyiv's forces reportedly used long-range Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a key Russian oil processing facility. The attack was carried out Thursday, as stated by the Ukrainian military authorities.

Details of the Strike and Strategic Impact

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was said to be hit, with multiple blasts observed at the site. This represents another instance where Ukraine has deployed these powerful British-supplied missiles against objectives inside Russian territory.

Military spokespersons noted that the Novoshakhtinsk facility serves as one of the main providers of petrol products in Russia's south and is actively engaged in supplying the military of the Russian Federation.

Political Discussions on the War Front

Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held productive discussions with representatives of ex-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: many details, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy stated on a social media platform. “There are some fresh concepts on how to bring real peace closer, and it concerns approaches, meetings, and, certainly, the timeline.”

Legal Crackdown Within Russia

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

The charges are said to be based on an online post Udaltsov published backing another group of Russian activists accused of forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has denied the allegations as politically motivated and, following the verdict, stated his intention to go on a hunger strike in protest.

International Detainee Situation

Russian authorities has stated it is in contact with French officials concerning the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia and allegedly facing new charges of spying.

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 closely following the situation, with all government services mobilised to offer assistance 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 reopen. Authorities in control have heralded the rebuilding as a sign of renewal.

However, previous staff from the theatre have denounced the planned opening as “a macabre spectacle.” This project is part of a wider Kremlin effort to present its rule in occupied Ukraine, a process accompanied by the arrest or exile of dissenting voices and confiscation of assets from Ukrainian citizens.

The theatre is due to reopen by the month's end with a show of a Russian fairytale, having been rebuilt largely anew over the past two years.