In a significant military action, Ukrainian forces reportedly used long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a key Russian oil refinery. This strike was carried out Thursday, as stated by the country's military authorities.
The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was said to be hit, with multiple blasts observed at the site. This marks not the first instance where Ukrainian forces has utilized these advanced British-supplied missiles to hit objectives on Russian territory.
Military spokespersons noted that the Novoshakhtinsk facility acts as one of the main providers of fuel products in southern Russia and is actively engaged in supplying the military of the Russian Federation.
In a related development, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held productive discussions with representatives of ex-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 really good conversation: numerous specifics, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a messaging platform. “We explored some fresh concepts on how to bring real peace closer, and it concerns formats, potential summits, and, of course, the timeline.”
Meanwhile, in a internal 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 opposition movement, was given to six years in prison.
The charges reportedly stem from an article Udaltsov published backing another group of activists accused of forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has denied the charges as politically motivated and, after the sentencing, stated his intention to go on a hunger strike in protest.
Russian authorities has stated it is engaged with French officials regarding the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia and reportedly facing additional accusations of espionage.
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 stated he is closely following the situation, with all state resources working to provide consular support and advocate for his release as soon as possible.
A theatre in Mariupol, which was destroyed in a devastating bombardment while hundreds of civilians were sheltering in its cellar, is set to reopen. Authorities in control have promoted the reconstruction as a sign of renewal.
Conversely, former actors from the theatre have called the planned opening as “dancing on bones.” This project is part of a broader Kremlin effort to showcase its rule in occupied Ukraine, a process accompanied by the detention or expulsion of critics and confiscation of assets from Ukrainian citizens.
The theatre is due to reopen by the month's end with a performance of a Russian fairytale, following its reconstruction almost from scratch over the past two years.
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