Kyiv Strikes Russian Fuel Plant With British Storm Shadow Missiles.
In a significant military action, Ukrainian forces reportedly used long-range Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a major 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 said to be hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the location. This marks not the first instance where Ukrainian forces has deployed these powerful British-supplied missiles to hit objectives on Russian soil.
Ukrainian officials emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk plant serves as one of the primary providers of petrol products in Russia's south and is actively engaged in providing for the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
Political Discussions on the War Front
In a related development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that he held productive discussions with representatives of ex-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, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “We explored some new ideas on how to bring a genuine peace closer, and it involves approaches, meetings, and, certainly, the schedule.”
Judicial Proceedings Within Russia
Meanwhile, in a internal matter, a court in Russia has convicted a pro-war activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the opposition movement, was sentenced to six years in prison.
This case reportedly stem from an article Udaltsov shared in support of another group of activists accused of forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has rejected the allegations as politically motivated and, following the verdict, reportedly announced to go on a hunger strike in protest.
International Detainee Case
The Kremlin has stated it is in contact with French authorities concerning the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar serving a three-year sentence in Russia and reportedly facing additional accusations of spying.
An official 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 confirmed he is closely following the situation, with all state resources working to provide consular support and push for his release at the earliest opportunity.
Controversial Reopening in Mariupol
A theatre in Mariupol, which was leveled in a 2022 Russian airstrike while hundreds of civilians were sheltering in its cellar, is set to open its doors again. Russian occupation authorities have heralded the reconstruction as a symbol of recovery.
Conversely, former actors from the theatre have called the reopening as “dancing on bones.” This project is part of a broader Moscow effort to showcase its administration in seized territories, a process that includes the detention or expulsion of dissenting voices and property seizures from Ukrainian citizens.
The theatre is due to reopen by the end of the month with a show of a Russian fairytale, having been rebuilt largely anew over the past two years.