🔗 Share this article Ukrainian Forces Hit Russian Fuel Plant With British Storm Shadow Missiles. In a significant military action, Kyiv's forces have employed British-made Storm Shadow missiles to strike a major Russian oil refinery. The attack was carried out Thursday, as stated by the Ukrainian military authorities. Details of the Strike and Military Significance The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was reportedly hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the location. This represents not the first instance where Ukraine has utilized these powerful British-supplied missiles against objectives on Russian soil. Ukrainian officials emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk plant serves as one of the main providers of petrol products in Russia's south and is actively engaged in providing for the military of the Russian Federation. Political Discussions on the War Front In a related development, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced 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 potential pathways to bring the conflict to a close. “It was a really good conversation: numerous specifics, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a messaging platform. “We explored some new ideas on how to move toward real peace closer, and it concerns formats, potential summits, and, certainly, the timeline.” Judicial Proceedings Within Russia Meanwhile, in a domestic matter, a Russian court has found guilty a pro-war activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the Left Front movement, was given to six years in prison. The charges are said to be based on an online post Udaltsov shared backing another group of activists charged with forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as politically motivated and, after the sentencing, reportedly announced 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 political scholar currently serving a prison term in Russia and reportedly facing new charges of espionage. A spokesperson 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 stated he is closely following the situation, with all state resources mobilised to provide consular support and advocate for his liberation as soon as possible. Symbolic Reconstruction in Mariupol A theatre in Mariupol, which was leveled in a devastating bombardment while hundreds of civilians were sheltering in its basement, is set to reopen. Russian occupation authorities have heralded the reconstruction as a symbol of recovery. However, former actors from the theatre have denounced the reopening as “a macabre spectacle.” This project is part of a broader 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 Ukrainian citizens. The theatre is due to reopen by the end of the month with a show of a classic Russian story, following its reconstruction largely anew over the last 24 months.
In a significant military action, Kyiv's forces have employed British-made Storm Shadow missiles to strike a major Russian oil refinery. The attack was carried out Thursday, as stated by the Ukrainian military authorities. Details of the Strike and Military Significance The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was reportedly hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the location. This represents not the first instance where Ukraine has utilized these powerful British-supplied missiles against objectives on Russian soil. Ukrainian officials emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk plant serves as one of the main providers of petrol products in Russia's south and is actively engaged in providing for the military of the Russian Federation. Political Discussions on the War Front In a related development, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced 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 potential pathways to bring the conflict to a close. “It was a really good conversation: numerous specifics, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a messaging platform. “We explored some new ideas on how to move toward real peace closer, and it concerns formats, potential summits, and, certainly, the timeline.” Judicial Proceedings Within Russia Meanwhile, in a domestic matter, a Russian court has found guilty a pro-war activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the Left Front movement, was given to six years in prison. The charges are said to be based on an online post Udaltsov shared backing another group of activists charged with forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as politically motivated and, after the sentencing, reportedly announced 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 political scholar currently serving a prison term in Russia and reportedly facing new charges of espionage. A spokesperson 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 stated he is closely following the situation, with all state resources mobilised to provide consular support and advocate for his liberation as soon as possible. Symbolic Reconstruction in Mariupol A theatre in Mariupol, which was leveled in a devastating bombardment while hundreds of civilians were sheltering in its basement, is set to reopen. Russian occupation authorities have heralded the reconstruction as a symbol of recovery. However, former actors from the theatre have denounced the reopening as “a macabre spectacle.” This project is part of a broader 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 Ukrainian citizens. The theatre is due to reopen by the end of the month with a show of a classic Russian story, following its reconstruction largely anew over the last 24 months.