Ukrainian Forces Hit Moscow's Fuel Plant With UK-supplied Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles.

In a significant escalation, Kyiv's forces reportedly used long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a major Russian oil processing facility. The attack was carried out Thursday, as stated by the country's military authorities.

Details of the Strike and Strategic Impact

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was reportedly hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the site. This marks not the first instance where Ukrainian forces has deployed these advanced British-supplied missiles against targets on Russian territory.

Military spokespersons noted that the Novoshakhtinsk plant serves as one of the primary providers of petrol products in southern Russia and is actively engaged in supplying the military of the Russian Federation.

Political Discussions on the War Front

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

“We had a very productive conversation: many details, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a messaging platform. “We explored some new ideas on how to bring real peace closer, and it concerns formats, meetings, and, certainly, the timeline.”

Judicial Proceedings Inside the Country

Meanwhile, in a internal matter, a court in Russia has convicted a pro-war activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the opposition movement, was given to six years in a penal colony.

The charges are said to be based on an online post Udaltsov shared backing another group of activists accused of forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has rejected the allegations as politically motivated and, after the sentencing, stated his intention to go on a hunger strike in defiance.

Foreign Prisoner Case

The Kremlin has stated it is in contact with French authorities regarding the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar serving a three-year sentence in Russia and reportedly facing additional accusations of spying.

An official said that Russia has made an offer to France in the case of Vinatier, and now “it is in France’s court.” President Emmanuel Macron’s office stated he is monitoring the situation, with all state resources mobilised to offer assistance and push for his release as soon as possible.

Controversial Reopening in Mariupol

A theatre in Mariupol, which was destroyed in a 2022 Russian airstrike while many civilians sought refuge in its cellar, is scheduled to open its doors again. Russian occupation authorities have promoted the reconstruction as a sign of renewal.

Conversely, previous staff from the theatre have denounced the reopening as “dancing on bones.” This project is part of a wider Moscow effort to showcase its administration in occupied Ukraine, a process that includes the detention or expulsion of critics 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.