🔗 Share this article

Ukraine has announced the start of mass production for a new domestically developed interceptor drone to reinforce its air defences. Three initial producers have started manufacturing, with an additional eleven preparing to set up assembly lines, Ukrainian military officials stated this past Friday.

'Octopus' Technology Tested in Battlefield Conditions

These UAVs utilize a nationally created technology known as “Octopus” designed to neutralize Shahed drones. This technology has been tested in actual battle and proved successful “during nighttime, amid electronic warfare and flying low,” the ministry stated. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set a target of manufacturing up to 1,000 defensive drones each day.

Recent Attack on Kyiv Characterized as Deliberate

Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized Moscow's most recent assault against Ukraine as “intentional, premeditated and brutal” following six people lost their lives and many others wounded in a wave of nocturnal attacks throughout Kyiv. Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv shortly after 12 AM on Friday, with Shahed drones soon detected overhead and heavy machine-gun fire from Ukraine's aerial protection units.

Zelenskyy stated the country was targeted by hundreds of UAVs and 18 missiles. Those killed had been inside their residences in a block of flats on the capital's left bank when it was hit. Dozens of other buildings sustained damage, among them the Azerbaijani embassy.

Diplomatic Protest Following Embassy Destruction

The Azerbaijani government announced it issued a formal objection to the Russian ambassador this past Friday following the destruction at its diplomatic compound. The blast from a Russian Iskander missile demolished a section of the compound's boundary wall and caused significant destruction to the embassy grounds, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry reported. There were no personnel was hurt, and an official representative said the diplomatic mission in Ukraine was maintaining operations.

Moscow's Glide Bomb Production Experiences Major Expansion

Moscow plans to produce up to 120,000 glide bombs in the current year, a senior Ukrainian intelligence official disclosed, including 500 of an innovative, longer-range version that can reach additional urban centers. Russian forces have been launching 200 to 250 glide bombs per day, with the previous month's average daily usage being approximately 170, according to defence ministry data.

Ukrainian Attacks Focus on Russian Oil Facilities

Moscow's maritime terminal of the port city temporarily suspended oil exports this past Friday – representing two percent of worldwide oil production – following a Ukrainian missile and drone attack. Military commanders in Kyiv said its forces had fired domestically produced missiles and deployed various types of strike drones in the attack on Novorossiysk “within the framework of operations to reduce the military and economic potential of the Russian aggressor.”

Ukraine separately struck a processing plant in Russia’s Saratov region and a fuel storage facility in the adjacent Engels region during the night.

Global Sanctions Affect Russian Oil Producer

Russia’s second-largest oil producer Lukoil said this past Friday it is negotiating with interested parties concerning its foreign assets following last month’s restrictions from Western nations and failure of an agreement with the Gunvor trading house. “Final arrangements will be announced after the final agreements have been reached and required authorizations are secured,” the company commented.

Ukrainian President Schedules Diplomatic Trip to Spanish Capital

The Ukrainian leader is scheduled to travel to the Spanish capital, the Spanish capital, on Tuesday to meet with lawmakers 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 said.