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Ukrainian authorities have declared the commencement of mass production for a new domestically developed defensive UAV to strengthen its air defences. The first three manufacturers have started manufacturing, with 11 more preparing to set up production lines, Ukrainian military officials stated on Friday.

'Octopus' Technology Proven in Combat Conditions

The drones will be based on a domestically developed system known as “Octopus” engineered to neutralize Iranian-made drones. This technology has been tested in combat and demonstrated successful “during nighttime, amid electronic warfare and at low altitudes,” officials stated. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set an ambitious goal of producing as many as 1,000 interceptors each day.

Latest Attack on Kyiv Characterized as Calculated

The Ukrainian president characterized Moscow's most recent assault against Ukraine as “intentional, premeditated and brutal” following six people were killed and many others wounded in a series of nocturnal attacks across Kyiv. Air raid sirens activated in the capital just after 12 AM on Friday, with Shahed drones quickly heard overhead and intensive defensive fire from Ukraine's aerial protection units.

The president stated the country was targeted by hundreds of UAVs and multiple missiles. The deceased had been at home in a block of flats on Kyiv’s left bank when it was hit. Dozens of other buildings sustained damage, including the Azerbaijani embassy.

Diplomatic Objection After Embassy Destruction

Azerbaijan said it delivered a formal objection to Moscow's diplomatic representative on Friday following the destruction at its diplomatic compound. The blast from a Russian Iskander missile destroyed a section of the embassy’s perimeter wall and resulted in serious damage to the diplomatic compound, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry stated. There were no personnel injured, and an official representative said the diplomatic mission in Ukraine was continuing to operate.

Moscow's Aerial Bomb Production Experiences Significant Increase

Russia intends to manufacture as many as 120,000 glide bombs this year, a senior Ukrainian intelligence official said, among them 500 of an innovative, extended-range model that can reach additional urban centers. Russian forces were firing 200 to 250 aerial bombs daily, with last month’s average daily usage standing at approximately 170, based on defence ministry data.

Kyiv's Strikes Focus on Russian Energy Infrastructure

Russia’s maritime terminal of Novorossiysk halted for a period oil exports on Friday – representing 2% of global supply – following a strike by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine’s general staff said its military had fired Neptune cruise missiles and used multiple kinds of strike drones in the assault against Novorossiysk “within the framework of operations to diminish the military and economic potential of the invading force.”

Ukraine additionally targeted an oil refinery in Russia’s Saratov region and a fuel storage facility in the adjacent Engels region during the night.

International Sanctions Affect Moscow's Oil Producer

Russia’s second-largest oil producer Lukoil said on Friday it has been in talks with potential buyers concerning its foreign assets following last month’s restrictions from Western nations and failure of an agreement with the Gunvor trading house. “Final arrangements are to be disclosed once the final agreements have been reached and required authorizations are secured,” Lukoil commented.

Zelenskyy Schedules Diplomatic Trip to Spain

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to travel to the Spanish capital, the Spanish capital, next Tuesday to confer with parliament members a day after his trip to France, Spanish parliamentary officials announced. The Ukrainian president would meet deputies from all houses of the legislature during his visit, an official announcement confirmed.