Kyiv Strikes Moscow's Fuel Plant With UK-supplied Storm Shadow Missiles.

As part of a notable escalation, Kyiv's forces have employed long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a major Russian oil refinery. This strike was carried out Thursday, according to the Ukrainian military command.

Details of the Strike and Strategic Impact

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was reportedly hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the site. This represents not the first instance where Ukraine has deployed these advanced British-supplied missiles to hit objectives inside Russian territory.

Ukrainian officials emphasized 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 armed forces of the Russian Federation.

Political Discussions on the War Front

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 possible ways 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 bring real peace closer, and it involves approaches, potential summits, and, of course, the schedule.”

Legal Crackdown Within Russia

In a parallel internal matter, a court in Russia has convicted a activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. 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 published in support of another group of activists charged with forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as politically motivated and, following the verdict, stated his intention to begin a hunger strike in protest.

International Detainee Case

The Kremlin indicated it is in contact with French authorities regarding the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar currently serving a prison term in Russia and reportedly facing additional accusations of espionage.

An official said that Russia has presented a proposal to France in the case of Vinatier, and now “the ball is in France’s court.” French President Emmanuel Macron’s office stated he is closely following the situation, with all government services mobilised to provide consular support and advocate for his liberation at the earliest opportunity.

Controversial Reopening in Mariupol

The Mariupol Drama Theatre, which was leveled in a 2022 Russian airstrike while hundreds of civilians sought refuge in its basement, is scheduled to open its doors again. Russian occupation authorities have heralded the rebuilding as a symbol of recovery.

However, former actors from the theatre have called the reopening as “a macabre spectacle.” This project is part of a broader Moscow effort to present its administration in occupied Ukraine, a process that includes the detention or expulsion of critics and property seizures from Ukrainian citizens.

It is due to reopen by the end of the month with a performance of a Russian fairytale, having been rebuilt almost from scratch over the last 24 months.