Ukrainian Forces Hit Moscow's Fuel Plant With British Storm Shadow Missiles.

In a significant military action, 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, according to the Ukrainian military command.

Attack Particulars and Military Significance

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was reportedly hit, with "numerous explosions" observed at the site. This represents not the first instance where Ukraine has utilized these advanced British-supplied missiles to hit targets inside Russian territory.

Military spokespersons emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk facility acts as one of the main providers of fuel products in southern Russia and is actively engaged in supplying the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

Diplomatic Developments on the War Front

Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that he held “very good” talks with envoys of former US President Donald Trump, namely Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks focused on potential pathways to end the war.

“We had a very productive conversation: many details, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “We explored some new ideas on how to bring a genuine peace closer, and it involves approaches, meetings, and, of course, the timeline.”

Judicial Proceedings Inside the Country

Meanwhile, in a domestic matter, a court in Russia has found guilty a pro-war activist and opponent of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the opposition movement, was sentenced to six years in a penal colony.

This case 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 fabricated and, after the sentencing, stated his intention to go on a hunger strike in protest.

Foreign Prisoner Situation

Russian authorities has stated it is in contact with French officials regarding the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar serving a prison term in Russia and reportedly facing new charges of spying.

An official 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 state resources working to provide consular support and push for his liberation at the earliest opportunity.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Mariupol

The Mariupol Drama Theatre, which was destroyed in a 2022 Russian airstrike while hundreds of civilians were sheltering in its basement, is scheduled to reopen. Russian occupation authorities have heralded the reconstruction as a sign of renewal.

Conversely, previous staff from the theatre have denounced the planned opening as “a macabre spectacle.” The reconstruction is part of a wider Moscow effort to showcase 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 due to reopen by the month's end with a show of a Russian fairytale, following its reconstruction largely anew over the past two years.