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

In a significant escalation, Kyiv's forces have employed British-made Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a key Russian oil processing facility. The attack was carried out Thursday, according to the Ukrainian military command.

Attack Particulars and Military Significance

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was said to be hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the location. This marks another instance where Ukraine has deployed these advanced British-supplied missiles to hit targets inside Russian territory.

Military spokespersons emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk facility serves as one of the main providers of petrol 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 centered on possible ways to end the war.

“It was a very productive conversation: numerous specifics, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “There are some new ideas on how to move toward a genuine peace closer, and it concerns formats, potential summits, and, of course, the timeline.”

Judicial Proceedings Within Russia

In a parallel domestic matter, a court in Russia has found guilty a pro-war activist and opponent of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the Left Front movement, was given to six years in a penal colony.

The charges reportedly stem from an online post Udaltsov published backing another group of activists accused of forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has rejected the allegations as fabricated and, after the sentencing, stated his intention to go on a hunger strike in protest.

International Detainee Situation

The Kremlin has stated it is in contact with French officials regarding the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar serving a prison term in Russia and allegedly facing new charges of espionage.

A spokesperson stated that Russia has made an offer to France regarding Vinatier, and now “it 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 liberation at the earliest opportunity.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Occupied City

The Mariupol Drama Theatre, which was leveled in a 2022 Russian airstrike while hundreds of civilians were sheltering in its cellar, is scheduled to reopen. Russian occupation authorities have promoted the rebuilding as a sign of renewal.

However, former actors from the theatre have called the reopening as “dancing on bones.” 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 Ukrainian citizens.

The theatre is due to reopen by the month's end with a performance of a Russian fairytale, following its reconstruction almost from scratch over the last 24 months.