Kyiv Strikes Russian Oil Refinery Using British Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles.

In a significant military action, Ukrainian forces reportedly used British-made Storm Shadow missiles to strike a major Russian oil refinery. The attack occurred on Thursday, according to the Ukrainian military command.

Attack Particulars and Strategic Impact

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was reportedly hit, with "numerous explosions" observed at the site. This marks not the first instance where Ukraine has utilized these advanced British-supplied missiles against targets on Russian soil.

Military spokespersons emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk plant acts as one of the primary suppliers of petrol products in southern Russia and is actively engaged in providing for the military of the Russian Federation.

Diplomatic Developments on the Conflict

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held productive talks with representatives of ex-President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks focused on possible ways to end the war.

“We had a really good conversation: numerous specifics, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a messaging platform. “There are some fresh concepts on how to bring a genuine peace closer, and it involves formats, potential summits, and, certainly, the timeline.”

Judicial Proceedings Inside the Country

Meanwhile, in a domestic matter, a Russian court has found guilty a activist and opponent of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the Left Front movement, was given to six years in a penal colony.

This case are said to be based on an article Udaltsov published in support of another group of activists charged with forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as fabricated and, following the verdict, reportedly announced to begin a hunger strike in defiance.

International Detainee Situation

Russian authorities has stated it is in contact with French officials regarding the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia and allegedly facing additional accusations of spying.

An official stated that Russia has presented a proposal to France regarding Vinatier, and now “it is in France’s court.” French President Emmanuel Macron’s office confirmed he is closely following the situation, with all state resources working to offer assistance and push for his release at the earliest opportunity.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Occupied City

A theatre in Mariupol, which was destroyed in a devastating bombardment while hundreds of civilians sought refuge in its basement, is scheduled to open its doors again. Russian occupation authorities have promoted the rebuilding as a symbol of recovery.

Conversely, former actors from the theatre have called the reopening as “a macabre spectacle.” The reconstruction is part of a wider Moscow effort to present its rule in seized territories, a process that includes the arrest or exile of dissenting voices and confiscation of assets from Ukrainian citizens.

The theatre is expected to open by the end of the month with a show of a Russian fairytale, following its reconstruction largely anew over the last 24 months.