Ukrainian military forces have carried out a strike on a major Russian oil refinery using British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles, marking a continued escalation in Kyiv's capacity to hit strategic targets inside Russia.
Missile Strike on Key Energy Infrastructure
The Ukrainian armed forces' general staff confirmed the attack on the Novoshakhtinsk refinery on Thursday, reporting that the facility was hit and that "numerous explosions" were recorded. In a statement on social media, the military highlighted the plant's significance, noting it is one of the main suppliers of petroleum products in southern Russia and is directly involved in supplying fuel to the Russian armed forces.
This incident underscores Ukraine's ongoing use of the long-range, precision Storm Shadow missiles, provided by the United Kingdom, to reach targets deep within Russian territory. The strike occurred on the 1,402nd day of the full-scale invasion.
Diplomatic Moves and Domestic Crackdowns
In a parallel development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed he held "very good" talks with envoys representing former US President Donald Trump. The discussions with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner focused on potential pathways to end the conflict.
"It was a really good conversation: many details, good ideas, that we discussed," Zelenskyy stated on Telegram. He added that the talks yielded "some new ideas on how to bring the real peace closer," concerning formats, meetings, and timelines. This dialogue followed Zelenskyy's indication that Ukraine had secured limited concessions in the latest version of a US-led draft peace plan, which Moscow is reviewing.
Meanwhile, within Russia, a Moscow court convicted prominent pro-war activist and Vladimir Putin critic Sergei Udaltsov on charges of justifying terrorism, sentencing him to six years in prison. Udaltsov, leader of the Left Front movement, denounced the verdict as "shameful" and declared a hunger strike, according to the independent news site Mediazona. The charges related to an online article he posted in support of other activists convicted of forming a terrorist organisation.
Other Key Developments
The Kremlin confirmed it is in contact with French authorities regarding Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar serving a three-year sentence in Russia for collecting military information, who now reportedly faces new espionage charges. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated an offer had been made to France and "the ball is now in France's court." The French government said President Emmanuel Macron is closely monitoring the case and all services are mobilised to secure Vinatier's release.
In occupied Mariupol, Russian authorities are preparing to reopen the city's drama theatre, which was destroyed in a March 2022 airstrike while hundreds of civilians sheltered inside. The reconstruction, hailed by occupation officials as a symbol of renewal, has been condemned by former theatre actors as "dancing on bones." The reopening is part of a broader Russian reconstruction campaign in the devastated city, which has been accompanied by arrests, exile of critics, and seizures of property from Ukrainian owners.
