Kyiv Strikes Moscow's Fuel Plant With British Storm Shadow Missiles.

In a significant military action, Kyiv's forces have employed British-made Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a key Russian oil processing facility. This strike occurred on 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 not the first instance where Ukrainian forces has utilized these advanced British-supplied missiles against objectives inside Russian territory.

Military spokespersons emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk plant serves as one of the primary suppliers of petrol 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 stated on Thursday that he held productive discussions with representatives of ex-President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The conversation centered on potential pathways to end the war.

“It was a very productive conversation: many details, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a messaging platform. “There are some fresh concepts on how to move toward a genuine peace closer, and it involves approaches, potential summits, and, certainly, the timeline.”

Legal Crackdown Inside the Country

In a parallel internal matter, a Russian court has convicted a pro-war activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the Left Front movement, was sentenced to six years in a penal colony.

This case reportedly stem from an online post Udaltsov published backing another group of Russian activists charged with forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has denied the charges as politically motivated and, following the verdict, reportedly announced to go on a hunger strike in protest.

Foreign Prisoner Situation

The Kremlin indicated it is in contact with French authorities regarding the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher serving a prison term in Russia and reportedly facing new charges of spying.

A spokesperson stated that Russia has presented a proposal to France in the case of 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 working to provide consular support and push 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 basement, 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 planned opening as “dancing on bones.” This project is part of a broader Kremlin effort to present its rule in seized territories, a process that includes the detention or expulsion of dissenting voices and property seizures from local residents.

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