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Ukrainian authorities have declared the commencement of large-scale manufacturing for an innovative domestically developed interceptor drone to reinforce its aerial protection systems. Three initial producers have begun manufacturing, with 11 more getting ready to set up production lines, the defence ministry stated this past Friday.

'Octopus' Technology Tested in Battlefield Conditions

These UAVs utilize a nationally created technology known as “Octopus” designed to intercept Shahed drones. This technology has been tested in combat and demonstrated successful “at night, amid electronic warfare and at low altitudes,” the ministry stated. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set an ambitious goal of manufacturing as many as 1,000 defensive drones each day.

Latest Attack on the Capital Characterized as Deliberate

Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Moscow's most recent assault against Ukraine as “intentional, premeditated and wicked” after six people were killed and many others injured in a wave of night-time strikes across Kyiv. Alert systems sounded in Kyiv shortly after midnight on Friday, with enemy UAVs quickly detected overhead and intensive defensive fire from Ukrainian air defences.

The president reported the nation was hit by 430 drones and multiple missiles. The deceased were at home in a block of flats on the capital's left bank when it was hit. Dozens of additional structures sustained damage, among them the diplomatic mission of Azerbaijan.

International Protest Following Embassy Destruction

Azerbaijan said it delivered a strong protest to the Russian ambassador on Friday after the embassy damage. The blast from a Moscow's missile destroyed a section of the compound's boundary wall and caused serious damage to the diplomatic compound, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry reported. No one injured, and an official representative confirmed the diplomatic mission in Ukraine was maintaining operations.

Russian Glide Bomb Production Experiences Major Expansion

Moscow intends to produce as many as 120,000 glide bombs in the current year, a senior Ukrainian intelligence official said, among them 500 of a new, extended-range model that can reach more towns and cities. Russian forces have been launching 200 to 250 glide bombs daily, with last month’s average daily usage standing at approximately 170, according to official military statistics.

Ukrainian Strikes Target Moscow's Oil Facilities

Moscow's Black Sea port of the port city halted for a period oil exports on Friday – equivalent to two percent of global supply – following a Ukrainian missile and drone attack. Ukraine’s general staff said its military had fired Neptune cruise missiles and deployed multiple kinds of attack UAVs in the attack on Novorossiysk “within the framework of operations to reduce the strategic capabilities of the Russian aggressor.”

Ukrainian forces separately targeted an oil refinery in Russia’s Saratov region and an energy depot in the adjacent Engels region overnight.

International Restrictions Impact Russian Oil Producer

Russia’s second-largest oil producer Lukoil announced on Friday it is negotiating with potential buyers concerning its foreign assets after recent restrictions from the UK and the US and the collapse of an agreement with the Gunvor trading house. “Final arrangements will be announced after conclusive negotiations have been reached and required authorizations have been obtained,” the company stated.

Zelenskyy Schedules Visit to Spain

The Ukrainian leader is scheduled to travel to the city of Madrid, Madrid, on Tuesday to confer with lawmakers following his trip to France, Spanish parliamentary officials disclosed. Zelenskyy would meet deputies from all houses of parliament throughout his stay, the Spanish statement said.