Kyiv Strikes Moscow's Oil Refinery Using British Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles.

In a significant escalation, Kyiv's forces reportedly used British-made Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a key Russian oil refinery. The attack occurred on Thursday, according to the country's military authorities.

Attack Particulars and Military Significance

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was said to be hit, with multiple blasts observed at the location. This represents another instance where Ukraine has deployed these advanced British-supplied missiles to hit objectives on Russian soil.

Ukrainian officials emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk facility serves as one of the main providers of fuel products in southern Russia and is directly involved in providing for the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

Political Discussions on the War Front

Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held productive talks with representatives of ex-President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks focused on possible ways to end the war.

“We had a really good conversation: numerous specifics, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “There are some fresh concepts on how to move toward real peace closer, and it involves approaches, potential summits, and, of course, the schedule.”

Judicial Proceedings Inside the Country

In a parallel 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, head of the opposition movement, was given to six years in a penal colony.

This case reportedly stem from an online post Udaltsov published in support of another group of Russian activists charged with forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has rejected the allegations as politically motivated and, after the sentencing, stated his intention to begin a hunger strike in protest.

Foreign Prisoner Situation

Russian authorities indicated it is engaged with French authorities concerning the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher currently serving a prison term in Russia and reportedly facing additional accusations of espionage.

A spokesperson said that Russia has made an offer 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 mobilised to provide consular support and advocate for his release at the earliest opportunity.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Occupied City

A theatre in Mariupol, which was destroyed in a 2022 Russian airstrike while many civilians were sheltering in its basement, is scheduled to reopen. Authorities in control have heralded the rebuilding as a symbol of recovery.

However, previous staff from the theatre have denounced the planned opening as “a macabre spectacle.” The reconstruction is part of a broader Kremlin effort to present its rule in seized territories, a process accompanied by the detention or expulsion of critics and confiscation of assets from local residents.

The theatre is due to reopen by the month's end with a performance of a Russian fairytale, following its reconstruction largely anew over the past two years.