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

As part of a notable military action, Ukrainian forces reportedly used long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a key Russian oil processing facility. The attack was carried out Thursday, as stated by the Ukrainian military authorities.

Attack Particulars and Military Significance

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

Ukrainian officials noted that the Novoshakhtinsk plant serves as one of the main suppliers of fuel products in southern Russia and is actively engaged in supplying the military of the Russian Federation.

Political Discussions on the Conflict

Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held productive talks with representatives of former US President Donald Trump, namely Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The conversation focused on possible ways to bring the conflict to a close.

“We had a very productive conversation: many details, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a messaging platform. “There are some new ideas on how to move toward a genuine peace closer, and it concerns approaches, meetings, and, certainly, the schedule.”

Judicial Proceedings Within Russia

In a parallel domestic matter, a Russian court has found guilty a pro-war activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the Left Front movement, was sentenced to six years in prison.

The charges are said to be based on an online post Udaltsov shared 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 defiance.

International Detainee Situation

Russian authorities has stated it is in contact with French authorities regarding the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia and allegedly facing additional accusations of spying.

An official said that Russia has presented a proposal 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 mobilised to offer assistance and advocate for his liberation at the earliest opportunity.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Occupied City

A theatre in Mariupol, which was destroyed in a 2022 Russian airstrike while hundreds of civilians sought refuge in its basement, is set to reopen. Authorities in control have promoted the rebuilding as a sign of renewal.

However, previous staff from the theatre have called the reopening as “a macabre spectacle.” This project is part of a wider Kremlin effort to present its rule in occupied Ukraine, a process that includes the detention or expulsion of dissenting voices and confiscation of assets from local residents.

It is due to reopen by the end of the month with a show of a classic Russian story, having been rebuilt largely anew over the last 24 months.