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

In a significant escalation, Ukrainian forces reportedly used long-range Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a major Russian oil processing facility. The attack occurred on Thursday, according to the country's military command.

Details of the Strike and Military Significance

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was reportedly hit, with multiple blasts observed at the location. This marks not the first instance where Ukrainian forces has deployed these advanced British-supplied missiles against objectives inside Russian territory.

Ukrainian officials noted that the Novoshakhtinsk plant acts as one of the main suppliers of petrol products in Russia's south and is actively engaged in providing for the military of the Russian Federation.

Political Discussions on the Conflict

Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held “very good” talks 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.

“It was a really good conversation: numerous specifics, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “There are some new ideas on how to bring a genuine peace closer, and it involves formats, potential summits, and, of course, the schedule.”

Legal Crackdown Within Russia

Meanwhile, in a domestic matter, a Russian court has convicted a pro-war activist and opponent 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.

The charges reportedly stem from an online post Udaltsov published in support of another group of activists accused of forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as politically motivated and, after the sentencing, reportedly announced to begin a hunger strike in defiance.

International Detainee Case

Russian authorities indicated it is in contact with French officials regarding the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar currently serving a prison term in Russia and allegedly facing additional accusations of spying.

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

Symbolic Reconstruction in Occupied City

A theatre in Mariupol, which was destroyed in a 2022 Russian airstrike while hundreds of civilians were sheltering in its basement, is scheduled to open its doors again. Russian occupation authorities have heralded the rebuilding as a sign of renewal.

Conversely, previous staff from the theatre have called the reopening as “dancing on bones.” The reconstruction is part of a wider Moscow effort to present its administration in occupied Ukraine, a process that includes the detention or expulsion of dissenting voices and confiscation of assets from Ukrainian citizens.

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