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Ukraine has announced the commencement of large-scale manufacturing for a new domestically developed defensive UAV to strengthen its air defences. The first three producers have begun production, with an additional eleven preparing to set up assembly lines, Ukrainian military officials stated on Friday.

'Octopus' Technology Tested in Combat Conditions

The drones will be based on a domestically developed technology known as “Octopus” designed to neutralize Shahed drones. The system underwent testing in combat and proved effective “at night, amid electronic warfare and flying low,” the ministry confirmed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set a target of producing up to 1,000 interceptors each day.

Recent Attack on the Capital Described as Calculated

Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized Moscow's most recent assault on Ukraine as “deliberate, premeditated and brutal” after six individuals were killed and dozens injured in a series of nocturnal attacks throughout Kyiv. Air raid sirens activated in Kyiv just after midnight on Friday, with enemy UAVs quickly heard overhead and heavy machine-gun fire from Ukrainian air defences.

The president reported the nation was hit by 430 drones and multiple missiles. The deceased had been at home in an apartment building on Kyiv’s left bank when it was hit. Dozens of additional structures were damaged, including the Azerbaijani embassy.

International Protest Following Diplomatic Compound Damage

The Azerbaijani government said it delivered a formal objection to the Russian ambassador this past Friday after the destruction at its diplomatic compound. An explosion from a Russian Iskander missile demolished a section of the compound's boundary wall and caused significant destruction to the embassy grounds, officials from Baku reported. There were no personnel was hurt, and a ministry spokesperson confirmed the Kyiv embassy was maintaining operations.

Russian Glide Bomb Manufacturing Experiences Major Expansion

Russia intends to produce 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. Moscow's military were firing 200 to 250 aerial bombs per day, with the previous month's average daily usage being approximately 170, based on official military statistics.

Ukrainian Attacks Target Russian Oil Facilities

Moscow's maritime terminal of the port city halted for a period oil exports this past Friday – representing 2% of global supply – after a strike by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine’s general staff said its forces had fired Neptune cruise missiles and deployed multiple kinds of strike drones in the attack on Novorossiysk “as part of efforts to diminish the military and economic potential of the invading force.”

Ukraine separately struck an oil refinery in the Saratov area and an energy depot in the adjacent Engels region during the night.

International Restrictions Impact Russian Oil Producer

Russia’s second-largest oil producer Lukoil said on Friday it has been in talks with interested parties concerning its international holdings following last month’s sanctions from the UK and the US and the collapse of an agreement with the Gunvor trading house. “The specific deal will be announced once the final agreements have been reached and required authorizations are secured,” the company commented.

Ukrainian President Plans Visit to Spanish Capital

Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the city of Madrid, the Spanish capital, on Tuesday to confer with parliament members a day after his trip to France, the chamber of deputies announced. Zelenskyy will convene with representatives from both chambers of the legislature throughout his stay, an official announcement confirmed.