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

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

Attack Particulars and Strategic Impact

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was said to be hit, with multiple blasts observed at the location. This represents not the first instance where Ukrainian forces has utilized these powerful British-supplied missiles against objectives inside Russian soil.

Ukrainian officials noted that the Novoshakhtinsk facility 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

In a related development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that he held productive talks with envoys of ex-President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks focused on potential pathways to end the war.

“It was a very productive conversation: numerous specifics, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a messaging platform. “There are some fresh concepts on how to move toward real peace closer, and it involves formats, meetings, and, certainly, the timeline.”

Judicial Proceedings Inside the Country

In a parallel internal matter, a Russian court has convicted a pro-war activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the Left Front movement, was sentenced to six years in a penal colony.

The charges are said to be based on an article Udaltsov shared backing another group of activists accused of forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has denied the allegations as politically motivated and, after the sentencing, reportedly announced to begin a hunger strike in protest.

International Detainee Case

The Kremlin indicated it is in contact with French officials concerning the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia and reportedly facing additional accusations of espionage.

A spokesperson said that Russia has presented a proposal 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 state resources working to offer assistance and push for his liberation at the earliest opportunity.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Occupied City

A theatre in Mariupol, which was destroyed in a 2022 Russian airstrike while many civilians were sheltering in its cellar, is scheduled to reopen. Russian occupation authorities have promoted the reconstruction as a sign of renewal.

Conversely, former actors from the theatre have denounced the planned opening as “dancing on bones.” This project is part of a wider Moscow effort to showcase its rule in occupied Ukraine, a process accompanied by the arrest or exile of critics and confiscation of assets from Ukrainian citizens.

It 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.