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Ukraine has announced the commencement of mass production for a new domestically developed defensive UAV to reinforce its air defences. Three initial producers have begun manufacturing, with 11 more getting ready to establish assembly lines, Ukrainian military officials stated on Friday.

Advanced 'Octopus' System Tested in Combat Conditions

The drones will be based on a domestically developed system known as “Octopus” engineered to intercept Iranian-made drones. The system has been tested in actual battle and proved successful “during nighttime, amid electronic warfare and flying low,” officials stated. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set an ambitious goal of manufacturing as many as 1,000 defensive drones each day.

Recent Attack on Kyiv Described as Deliberate

Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Moscow's most recent assault against Ukraine as “deliberate, calculated and brutal” following six people were killed and dozens wounded in a series of night-time strikes across Kyiv. Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv just after 12 AM this past Friday, with enemy UAVs quickly heard overhead and intensive defensive fire from Ukrainian air defences.

Zelenskyy reported the nation was hit by hundreds of UAVs and 18 missiles. Those killed had been at home in an apartment building on the capital's left bank when it was hit. Dozens of other buildings were damaged, among them the Azerbaijani embassy.

Diplomatic Protest After Diplomatic Compound Destruction

The Azerbaijani government said it delivered a strong protest to the Russian ambassador this past Friday after the destruction at its diplomatic compound. An explosion from a Moscow's missile destroyed part of the embassy’s perimeter wall and caused serious damage to the embassy grounds, officials from Baku stated. No one was hurt, and an official representative said the diplomatic mission in Ukraine was maintaining operations.

Moscow's Aerial Bomb Production Sees Major Expansion

Moscow intends to produce as many as 120,000 glide bombs in the current year, a high-ranking Ukrainian defense official disclosed, among them 500 of an innovative, longer-range version that is capable of targeting additional urban centers. Moscow's military were firing hundreds of aerial bombs per day, with last month’s average daily usage standing at about 170, according to defence ministry data.

Kyiv's Attacks Target Russian Oil Facilities

Russia’s maritime terminal of Novorossiysk temporarily suspended oil exports on Friday – equivalent to 2% of worldwide oil production – after a Ukrainian missile and drone attack. Ukraine’s general staff stated its forces had fired domestically produced missiles and deployed various types of attack UAVs in the assault against Novorossiysk “as part of efforts to diminish the military and economic potential of the Russian aggressor.”

Ukrainian forces additionally struck a processing plant in the Saratov area and an energy depot in the adjacent Engels region overnight.

Global Sanctions Affect Russian Energy Company

Russia’s second-largest oil producer Lukoil announced this past Friday it has been in talks with potential buyers concerning its foreign assets after last month’s sanctions from Western nations 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 have been obtained,” the company stated.

Zelenskyy Schedules Diplomatic Trip to Spain

Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the Spanish capital, the Spanish capital, on Tuesday to confer with parliament members a day after his visit to Paris, Spanish parliamentary officials announced. The Ukrainian president will convene with representatives from both chambers of parliament throughout his stay, an official announcement said.