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Ukrainian authorities have declared the start of mass production for a new domestically developed defensive UAV to reinforce its aerial protection systems. The first three manufacturers have started production, with an additional eleven getting ready to establish assembly lines, the defence ministry announced this past Friday.

Advanced 'Octopus' System Proven in Battlefield Situations

These UAVs utilize a domestically developed technology known as “Octopus” designed to intercept Shahed drones. The system underwent testing in combat and demonstrated successful “at night, under jamming and flying low,” officials confirmed. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set an ambitious goal of producing up to 1,000 interceptors each day.

Latest Assault on Kyiv Described as Calculated

Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized Moscow's most recent assault on Ukraine as “deliberate, calculated and brutal” after six people were killed and many others injured in a series of nocturnal attacks throughout Kyiv. Alert systems sounded in Kyiv just after midnight this past Friday, with enemy UAVs soon detected overhead and intensive defensive fire from Ukraine's aerial protection units.

Zelenskyy stated the country was targeted by 430 drones and multiple missiles. The deceased were inside their residences in an apartment building on the capital's left bank when it was hit. Numerous of additional structures sustained damage, including the diplomatic mission of Azerbaijan.

Diplomatic Protest Following Diplomatic Compound Damage

Azerbaijan announced it delivered a strong protest to the Russian ambassador this past Friday after the embassy damage. An explosion from a Russian Iskander missile demolished a section of the embassy’s perimeter wall and caused significant destruction to the diplomatic compound, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry reported. No one injured, and a ministry spokesperson said the Kyiv embassy was maintaining operations.

Russian Glide Bomb Production Sees Significant Increase

Russia intends to manufacture up to 120,000 glide bombs in the current year, a high-ranking Ukrainian defense official said, including 500 of an innovative, extended-range model that can reach additional urban centers. Russian forces have been launching 200 to 250 aerial bombs daily, with last month’s average daily usage being approximately 170, based on defence ministry data.

Kyiv's Attacks Target Russian Oil Facilities

Moscow's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk temporarily suspended crude shipments on Friday – equivalent to two percent of worldwide oil production – following a strike by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine’s general staff said its military had fired domestically produced missiles and deployed various types of attack UAVs in the attack on Novorossiysk “as part of efforts to diminish the military and economic potential of the Russian aggressor.”

Ukrainian forces separately targeted an oil refinery in the Saratov area and an energy depot in nearby Engels overnight.

International Sanctions Affect Moscow's Energy Company

Russia’s second-largest energy company Lukoil announced on Friday it has been in talks with interested parties regarding its foreign assets following recent sanctions from the UK and the US and the collapse of an agreement with the Gunvor trading house. “The specific deal will be announced after conclusive negotiations are completed and the necessary regulatory approvals are secured,” Lukoil stated.

Ukrainian President Schedules Diplomatic Trip to Spanish Capital

The Ukrainian leader will visit the Spanish capital, Madrid, on Tuesday to confer with parliament members a day after his trip to France, Spanish parliamentary officials disclosed. Zelenskyy would meet representatives from all houses of the legislature throughout his stay, an official announcement confirmed.