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Ukraine has announced the start of large-scale manufacturing for a new locally engineered interceptor drone to strengthen its air defences. Three initial producers have begun production, with 11 more getting ready to set up assembly lines, Ukrainian military officials stated this past Friday.

'Octopus' Technology Tested in Battlefield Conditions

These UAVs will be based on a nationally created technology known as “Octopus” designed to intercept Iranian-made drones. The system has been tested in actual battle and demonstrated successful “at night, amid electronic warfare and at low altitudes,” the ministry confirmed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy established a target of manufacturing up to 1,000 interceptors each day.

Latest Assault on the Capital Described as Deliberate

The Ukrainian president characterized Moscow's most recent assault on Ukraine as “deliberate, calculated and brutal” following six people lost their lives and dozens injured in a wave of night-time strikes throughout Kyiv. Alert systems sounded in Kyiv shortly after 12 AM this past Friday, with enemy UAVs soon detected overhead and intensive defensive fire from Ukrainian air defences.

Zelenskyy stated the nation was targeted by 430 drones and multiple missiles. The deceased were at home in a block of flats on Kyiv’s left bank during the strike. Numerous of other buildings were damaged, including the diplomatic mission of Azerbaijan.

International Protest After Embassy Damage

The Azerbaijani government announced it delivered a strong protest to the Russian ambassador this past Friday after the embassy damage. The blast from a Russian Iskander missile destroyed a section of the embassy’s perimeter wall and resulted in significant destruction to the diplomatic compound, officials from Baku reported. No one injured, and an official representative said the diplomatic mission in Ukraine was maintaining operations.

Russian Aerial Bomb Production Sees Significant Increase

Russia intends to manufacture up to 120,000 glide bombs this year, a high-ranking Ukrainian defense official disclosed, among them 500 of an innovative, longer-range version that is capable of targeting more towns and cities. Russian forces have been launching 200 to 250 glide bombs daily, with last month’s average daily usage being approximately 170, according to official military statistics.

Kyiv's Strikes Focus on Moscow's Oil Facilities

Russia’s maritime terminal of Novorossiysk halted for a period crude shipments on Friday – equivalent to two percent of global supply – following a Ukrainian missile and drone attack. Military commanders in Kyiv stated its forces had launched domestically produced missiles and deployed multiple kinds of strike drones in the assault against Novorossiysk “within the framework of efforts to diminish the strategic capabilities of the Russian aggressor.”

Ukrainian forces additionally targeted a processing plant in Russia’s Saratov region and an energy depot in the adjacent Engels region during the night.

International Restrictions Impact Moscow's Oil Producer

Russia’s second-largest oil producer Lukoil announced on Friday it is negotiating with interested parties concerning its international holdings after last month’s sanctions from Western nations and the collapse of an agreement with the Gunvor trading house. “The specific deal are to be disclosed once the final agreements are completed and the necessary regulatory approvals have been obtained,” the company stated.

Zelenskyy Schedules Diplomatic Trip to Spain

The Ukrainian leader will visit the city of Madrid, Madrid, next Tuesday to meet with parliament members a day after his trip to France, the chamber of deputies disclosed. The Ukrainian president would meet representatives from both chambers of parliament during his visit, the Spanish statement confirmed.