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Ukrainian authorities have declared the start of large-scale manufacturing for a new locally engineered defensive UAV to reinforce its air defences. The first three producers have begun manufacturing, with 11 more getting ready to set up assembly lines, the defence ministry stated on Friday.

Advanced 'Octopus' System Tested in Battlefield Situations

These UAVs will be based on a nationally created system known as “Octopus” engineered to neutralize Iranian-made drones. The system has been tested in combat and demonstrated successful “at night, under jamming and at low altitudes,” officials stated. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set an ambitious goal of manufacturing as many as 1,000 defensive drones each day.

Latest Attack on the Capital Described as Deliberate

The Ukrainian president characterized Moscow's most recent assault on Ukraine as “deliberate, premeditated and brutal” following six individuals lost their lives and many others injured in a wave of night-time strikes across Kyiv. Air raid sirens sounded in the capital shortly after midnight on Friday, with enemy UAVs quickly detected overhead and heavy machine-gun fire from Ukrainian air defences.

The president stated the country was hit by hundreds of UAVs and 18 missiles. Those killed had been inside their residences in an apartment building on Kyiv’s left bank during the strike. Dozens of additional structures sustained damage, including the Azerbaijani embassy.

International Protest Following Embassy Damage

Azerbaijan said 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 demolished part of the embassy’s perimeter wall and caused serious damage to the embassy grounds, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry reported. There were no personnel injured, and an official representative said the Kyiv embassy was maintaining operations.

Russian Aerial Bomb Production Experiences Major Expansion

Moscow plans to manufacture as many as 120,000 glide bombs this year, a high-ranking Ukrainian defense official said, including 500 of a new, longer-range version that can reach more towns and cities. Russian forces were firing 200 to 250 glide bombs per day, with last month’s average daily usage standing at about 170, according to official military statistics.

Ukrainian Strikes Focus on Moscow's Energy Infrastructure

Moscow's maritime terminal of Novorossiysk halted for a period oil exports on Friday – equivalent to two percent of worldwide oil production – following a Ukrainian missile and drone attack. Ukraine’s general staff stated its military had launched Neptune cruise missiles and deployed various types of attack UAVs in the attack on Novorossiysk “within the framework of operations to reduce the strategic capabilities of the Russian aggressor.”

Ukraine separately targeted a processing plant in the Saratov area and a fuel storage facility in nearby Engels overnight.

International Sanctions Affect Russian Oil Producer

Russia’s second-largest energy company Lukoil announced this past Friday it is negotiating with interested parties regarding its foreign assets after recent restrictions from Western nations and failure of a deal with the Gunvor trading house. “Final arrangements will be announced once the final agreements are completed and the necessary regulatory approvals have been obtained,” Lukoil commented.

Ukrainian President Plans Visit to Spanish Capital

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to travel to the city of Madrid, the Spanish capital, next Tuesday to meet with lawmakers following his trip to France, the chamber of deputies announced. The Ukrainian president will convene with deputies from all houses of parliament throughout his stay, the Spanish statement confirmed.