In a significant escalation, Kyiv's forces have employed British-made Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a key Russian oil refinery. This strike occurred on Thursday, according to the Ukrainian military command.
The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was reportedly hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the site. This marks not the first instance where Ukrainian forces has deployed these powerful British-supplied missiles to hit targets inside Russian soil.
Military spokespersons emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk facility acts as one of the main providers of fuel products in Russia's south and is directly involved in supplying the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held “very good” talks with representatives of former US President Donald Trump, namely Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks focused on potential pathways to bring the conflict to a close.
“We had a very productive conversation: numerous specifics, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “There are some fresh concepts on how to bring a genuine peace closer, and it concerns approaches, meetings, and, of course, the timeline.”
Meanwhile, in a internal matter, a Russian court has found guilty a activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the opposition movement, was given to six years in prison.
This case reportedly stem from an online post Udaltsov published backing another group of activists charged with forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has denied the allegations as fabricated and, following the verdict, reportedly announced to begin a hunger strike in defiance.
The Kremlin has stated it is engaged with French officials concerning the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia and allegedly facing additional accusations of spying.
A spokesperson said that Russia has made an offer to France regarding Vinatier, and now “the ball is in France’s court.” President Emmanuel Macron’s office confirmed he is monitoring the situation, with all state resources mobilised to provide consular support and push for his release at the earliest opportunity.
A theatre in Mariupol, which was leveled in a 2022 Russian airstrike while many civilians sought refuge in its cellar, is scheduled to reopen. Authorities in control have heralded the reconstruction as a symbol of recovery.
Conversely, previous staff from the theatre have denounced the planned opening as “a macabre spectacle.” This project is part of a wider Moscow effort to present its rule in seized territories, a process accompanied by the detention or expulsion of critics 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 past two years.
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