Ukrainian Forces Hit Russian Fuel Plant With UK-supplied Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles.

In a significant military action, Ukrainian forces have employed long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a major Russian oil processing facility. The attack was carried out Thursday, as stated by the Ukrainian military authorities.

Details of the Strike and Military Significance

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was said to be hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the location. This represents not the first instance where Ukraine has utilized these advanced British-supplied missiles to hit objectives inside Russian soil.

Ukrainian officials emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk facility acts as one of the primary providers of fuel products in Russia's south and is actively engaged in supplying the military of the Russian Federation.

Political Discussions on the War Front

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held productive discussions with envoys of former US President Donald Trump, namely Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The conversation focused on potential pathways to bring the conflict to a close.

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

Legal Crackdown Inside the Country

Meanwhile, in a domestic matter, a Russian court has convicted a activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the Left Front movement, was given to six years in prison.

This case reportedly stem from an article Udaltsov shared in support of another group of Russian activists accused of forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has denied the allegations as politically motivated and, after the sentencing, stated his intention to begin a hunger strike in protest.

Foreign Prisoner Situation

Russian authorities has stated it is engaged with French officials regarding the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia and allegedly 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.” French President Emmanuel Macron’s office confirmed he is monitoring the situation, with all state resources 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 many civilians sought refuge in its cellar, is scheduled to open its doors again. Authorities in control have promoted the rebuilding as a sign of renewal.

However, former actors from the theatre have denounced the reopening as “a macabre spectacle.” The reconstruction is part of a wider Moscow effort to showcase its administration in occupied Ukraine, 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 performance of a classic Russian story, having been rebuilt almost from scratch over the past two years.