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

As part of a notable escalation, Kyiv's forces reportedly used long-range Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a major Russian oil refinery. This strike was carried out Thursday, according to the country's military authorities.

Attack Particulars and Military Significance

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was reportedly hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the site. This marks not the first instance where Ukraine has utilized these powerful British-supplied missiles against targets inside Russian soil.

Ukrainian officials noted that the Novoshakhtinsk facility acts as one of the primary providers of petrol products in Russia's south and is actively engaged in providing for the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

Diplomatic Developments on the War Front

In a related development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that he held productive talks with envoys of former US President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks centered on possible ways to bring the conflict to a close.

“It was a really good 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 concerns approaches, potential summits, and, certainly, the schedule.”

Legal Crackdown Inside the Country

Meanwhile, in a internal matter, a court in Russia has found guilty a activist and opponent of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the opposition movement, was sentenced to six years in prison.

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

Foreign Prisoner Case

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

An official said 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 closely following the situation, with all government services working to provide consular support and advocate for his liberation as soon as possible.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Mariupol

The Mariupol Drama Theatre, which was destroyed in a 2022 Russian airstrike while hundreds of civilians sought refuge in its cellar, is scheduled to open its doors again. Russian occupation authorities have promoted the rebuilding as a symbol of recovery.

However, previous staff from the theatre have denounced the planned opening as “dancing on bones.” The reconstruction is part of a wider Moscow effort to showcase its rule in seized territories, a process that includes the detention or expulsion of dissenting voices and property seizures from Ukrainian citizens.

It is expected to open by the end of the month with a show of a Russian fairytale, having been rebuilt largely anew over the last 24 months.