Kyiv Strikes Russian Oil Refinery With UK-supplied Storm Shadow Missiles.

In a significant military action, Kyiv's forces have employed long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a major Russian oil processing facility. This strike occurred on Thursday, according to the country's military command.

Details of the Strike and Strategic Impact

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was said to be hit, with multiple blasts observed at the site. This represents another instance where Ukrainian forces has utilized these advanced British-supplied missiles against targets inside Russian territory.

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 providing for 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 representatives of ex-President Donald Trump, namely Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks centered on possible ways to bring the conflict to a close.

“It was a very productive conversation: numerous specifics, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy stated on a messaging platform. “There are some new ideas on how to move toward a genuine peace closer, and it involves formats, potential summits, and, certainly, the timeline.”

Legal Crackdown Inside the Country

In a parallel internal matter, a court in Russia has convicted a activist and opponent 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 reportedly stem from an article Udaltsov shared backing another group of activists charged with forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as fabricated and, following the verdict, reportedly announced to go on a hunger strike in defiance.

International Detainee Situation

Russian authorities has stated it is engaged with French officials regarding the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia and reportedly facing new charges of spying.

A spokesperson stated that Russia has made an offer 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 government services mobilised to provide consular support and push for his liberation as soon as possible.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Occupied City

A theatre in Mariupol, which was leveled in a devastating bombardment while hundreds of civilians were sheltering in its cellar, is set to open its doors again. Authorities in control have promoted the reconstruction as a sign of renewal.

However, former actors from the theatre have denounced the reopening as “dancing on bones.” The reconstruction is part of a broader Moscow effort to showcase its administration in occupied Ukraine, a process accompanied by the detention or expulsion of critics 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 last 24 months.