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Ukraine has announced the start of mass production for a new locally engineered defensive UAV to reinforce its air defences. Three initial manufacturers have begun production, with an additional eleven getting ready to set up production lines, the defence ministry stated on Friday.

'Octopus' Technology Tested in Combat Conditions

These UAVs will be based on a nationally created technology known as “Octopus” engineered to intercept Shahed drones. This technology has been tested in combat and proved effective “at night, under jamming and at low altitudes,” the ministry confirmed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy established a target of manufacturing as many as 1,000 defensive drones daily.

Latest Attack on the Capital Characterized as Calculated

Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Russia’s latest attack against Ukraine as “deliberate, calculated and wicked” following six people lost their lives and many others wounded in a series of night-time strikes throughout Kyiv. Alert systems sounded in Kyiv shortly after 12 AM on Friday, with Shahed drones soon heard overhead and heavy machine-gun fire from Ukraine's aerial protection units.

Zelenskyy stated the nation was hit by 430 drones and 18 missiles. The deceased were inside their residences in an apartment building on Kyiv’s left bank during the strike. Numerous of additional structures sustained damage, among them the diplomatic mission of Azerbaijan.

Diplomatic Protest After Embassy Destruction

The Azerbaijani government announced it issued a strong protest to Moscow's diplomatic representative this past Friday after 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 serious damage to the diplomatic compound, officials from Baku reported. No one was hurt, and a ministry spokesperson confirmed the diplomatic mission in Ukraine was continuing to operate.

Moscow's Glide Bomb Manufacturing Sees Significant Increase

Moscow plans to manufacture as many as 120,000 glide bombs in the current year, a high-ranking Ukrainian defense official disclosed, including 500 of a new, extended-range model that is capable of targeting more towns and cities. Russian forces were firing hundreds of aerial bombs per day, with the previous month's daily average standing at approximately 170, based on defence ministry data.

Ukrainian Strikes Focus on Moscow's Energy Infrastructure

Moscow's maritime terminal of Novorossiysk halted for a period oil exports this past Friday – representing two percent of global supply – following a strike by Ukrainian forces. Military commanders in Kyiv stated its military had launched Neptune cruise missiles and deployed various types of attack UAVs in the assault against Novorossiysk “as part of operations to diminish the military and economic potential of the Russian aggressor.”

Ukraine additionally struck an oil refinery in the Saratov area and a fuel storage facility in the adjacent Engels region overnight.

International Restrictions Affect Moscow's Oil Producer

Russia’s second-largest oil producer Lukoil announced this past Friday it is negotiating with potential buyers concerning its foreign assets after recent sanctions from the UK and the US and failure of an agreement with commodity trader Gunvor. “Final arrangements will be announced once conclusive negotiations are completed and required authorizations are secured,” Lukoil stated.

Zelenskyy Plans Visit to Spain

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to travel to the city of Madrid, the Spanish capital, on Tuesday to confer with lawmakers following his visit to Paris, Spanish parliamentary officials disclosed. Zelenskyy would meet representatives from all houses of parliament throughout his stay, the Spanish statement confirmed.