🔗 Share this article

Ukrainian authorities have declared the commencement of mass production for a new domestically developed defensive UAV to enhance its air defences. The first three producers have begun production, with 11 more preparing to set up production lines, Ukrainian military officials stated this past Friday.

Advanced 'Octopus' System Tested in Combat Conditions

The drones utilize a domestically developed system called “Octopus” designed to neutralize Iranian-made drones. This technology underwent testing in actual battle and proved successful “during nighttime, amid electronic warfare and at low altitudes,” officials confirmed. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set a target of manufacturing up to 1,000 defensive drones each day.

Recent Attack on the Capital Described as Deliberate

The Ukrainian president characterized Russia’s latest attack on Ukraine as “deliberate, calculated and wicked” after six individuals lost their lives and many others wounded in a series of night-time strikes throughout Kyiv. Alert systems activated in Kyiv shortly after 12 AM on Friday, with Shahed drones soon detected overhead and heavy machine-gun fire from Ukrainian air defences.

The president reported the country was targeted by hundreds of UAVs and 18 missiles. Those killed were at home in a block of flats on Kyiv’s left bank when it was hit. Numerous of other buildings were damaged, among them the diplomatic mission of Azerbaijan.

International Protest Following Embassy Damage

The Azerbaijani government said it issued a strong protest to Moscow's diplomatic representative on Friday after the destruction at its diplomatic compound. An explosion from a Russian Iskander missile demolished a section of the embassy’s perimeter wall and resulted in significant destruction to the embassy grounds, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry stated. There were no personnel injured, and a ministry spokesperson said the Kyiv embassy was continuing to operate.

Russian Glide Bomb Production Experiences Major Expansion

Moscow plans to produce as many as 120,000 glide bombs this year, a senior Ukrainian intelligence official disclosed, including 500 of a new, longer-range version that can reach additional urban centers. Moscow's military have been launching 200 to 250 aerial bombs per day, with last month’s daily average being about 170, based on defence ministry data.

Kyiv's Attacks Target Moscow's Energy Infrastructure

Russia’s Black Sea port of the port city temporarily suspended oil exports this past Friday – equivalent to 2% of worldwide oil production – after a strike by Ukrainian forces. Military commanders in Kyiv said its forces had fired domestically produced missiles and deployed multiple kinds of strike drones in the attack on Novorossiysk “within the framework of efforts to reduce the strategic capabilities of the Russian aggressor.”

Ukraine additionally struck an oil refinery in the Saratov area and an energy depot in the adjacent Engels region during the night.

International Sanctions Affect Russian Oil Producer

The number two oil producer Lukoil said this past Friday it has been in talks with potential buyers concerning its foreign assets after recent restrictions from the UK and the US and the collapse of a deal with commodity trader Gunvor. “The specific deal will be announced after the final agreements have been reached and required authorizations are secured,” the company commented.

Ukrainian President Schedules Visit to Spain

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to travel to the city of Madrid, Madrid, next Tuesday to confer with lawmakers a day after his visit to Paris, Spanish parliamentary officials disclosed. Zelenskyy would meet deputies from all houses of parliament during his visit, the Spanish statement confirmed.