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Ukrainian authorities have declared the start of mass production for a new locally engineered interceptor drone to reinforce its aerial protection systems. The first three manufacturers have begun manufacturing, with an additional eleven getting ready to establish production lines, the defence ministry stated this past Friday.

'Octopus' Technology Tested in Battlefield Conditions

These UAVs will be based on a domestically developed technology known as “Octopus” engineered to intercept Iranian-made drones. The system has been tested in combat and proved successful “at night, under jamming and flying low,” the ministry stated. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy established a target of manufacturing up to 1,000 interceptors daily.

Recent Assault on Kyiv Characterized as Calculated

Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Russia’s latest attack on Ukraine as “intentional, calculated and brutal” following six individuals were killed and many others wounded in a series of night-time strikes throughout Kyiv. Alert systems activated in Kyiv just after 12 AM on Friday, with enemy UAVs soon detected overhead and heavy machine-gun fire from Ukraine's aerial protection units.

Zelenskyy stated the country was hit by hundreds of UAVs and 18 missiles. The deceased were inside their residences in an apartment building on Kyiv’s left bank during the strike. Dozens of other buildings were damaged, among them the diplomatic mission of Azerbaijan.

Diplomatic Protest After Diplomatic Compound Damage

Azerbaijan said it delivered a formal objection to the Russian ambassador on Friday following the destruction at its diplomatic compound. An explosion from a Russian Iskander missile destroyed a section of the embassy’s perimeter wall and resulted in significant destruction to the diplomatic compound, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry stated. No one was hurt, and an official representative said the diplomatic mission in Ukraine was continuing to operate.

Moscow's Glide Bomb Manufacturing Experiences Major Expansion

Russia intends to manufacture as many as 120,000 guided aerial bombs in the current year, a high-ranking Ukrainian defense official said, among them 500 of a new, longer-range version that can reach additional urban centers. Russian forces were firing hundreds of glide bombs per day, with the previous month's average daily usage being about 170, based on official military statistics.

Ukrainian Strikes Target Russian Oil Facilities

Russia’s maritime terminal of the port city temporarily suspended crude shipments this past Friday – equivalent to two percent of worldwide oil production – after a strike by Ukrainian forces. Military commanders in Kyiv said its military had fired domestically produced missiles and deployed various types of strike drones in the attack on Novorossiysk “as part of efforts to reduce the strategic capabilities of the invading force.”

Ukrainian forces separately struck an oil refinery in the Saratov area and an energy depot in the adjacent Engels region overnight.

Global Restrictions Impact Russian Energy Company

Russia’s second-largest oil producer Lukoil announced on Friday it is negotiating with interested parties concerning its international holdings after recent restrictions from Western nations and failure of a deal with commodity trader Gunvor. “Final arrangements are to be disclosed after conclusive negotiations are completed and the necessary regulatory approvals have been obtained,” Lukoil commented.

Ukrainian President Schedules Diplomatic Trip to Spain

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to travel to the city of Madrid, the Spanish capital, next Tuesday to meet with lawmakers following his trip to France, the chamber of deputies announced. The Ukrainian president would meet deputies from both chambers of the legislature during his visit, an official announcement said.