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Ukrainian authorities have declared the start of large-scale manufacturing for a new locally engineered interceptor drone to reinforce its aerial protection systems. The first three manufacturers have started manufacturing, with an additional eleven getting ready to set up production lines, Ukrainian military officials announced this past Friday.

Advanced 'Octopus' System Tested in Combat Situations

The drones utilize a nationally created technology called “Octopus” engineered to neutralize Iranian-made drones. The system underwent testing in combat and demonstrated successful “during nighttime, amid electronic warfare and at low altitudes,” officials stated. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set an ambitious goal of producing as many as 1,000 interceptors daily.

Recent Assault on Kyiv Characterized as Deliberate

The Ukrainian president characterized Russia’s latest attack on Ukraine as “intentional, calculated and brutal” after six people were killed and dozens wounded in a wave of nocturnal attacks across Kyiv. Air raid sirens activated in the capital shortly after 12 AM on Friday, with enemy UAVs soon detected overhead and intensive defensive fire from Ukrainian air defences.

Zelenskyy reported the nation was hit by 430 drones and 18 missiles. Those killed had been inside their residences 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.

Diplomatic Objection After Diplomatic Compound Damage

Azerbaijan announced it delivered a formal objection to the Russian ambassador on Friday after the destruction at its diplomatic compound. The blast from a Russian Iskander missile demolished part of the compound's boundary wall and caused serious damage to the embassy grounds, officials from Baku reported. No one injured, and an official representative confirmed the diplomatic mission in Ukraine was continuing to operate.

Moscow's Glide Bomb Production Sees Major Expansion

Russia plans to manufacture up to 120,000 glide bombs in the current year, a high-ranking Ukrainian defense official disclosed, among them 500 of an innovative, extended-range model that is capable of targeting more towns and cities. Russian forces were firing hundreds of aerial bombs daily, with the previous month's daily average being about 170, according to official military statistics.

Kyiv's Strikes Target Russian Oil Facilities

Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk halted for a period oil exports on Friday – equivalent to two percent of global supply – after a strike by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine’s general staff said its forces had fired domestically produced missiles and used multiple kinds of attack UAVs in the attack on Novorossiysk “within the framework of operations to diminish the strategic capabilities of the invading force.”

Ukrainian forces separately targeted an oil refinery in the Saratov area and a fuel storage facility in nearby Engels overnight.

International Sanctions Impact Moscow's Energy Company

The number two energy company Lukoil announced on Friday it is negotiating with interested parties concerning its international holdings after recent sanctions from the UK and the US and failure of a deal with commodity trader Gunvor. “The specific deal are to be disclosed after the final agreements have been reached and required authorizations are secured,” the company commented.

Ukrainian President Plans Diplomatic Trip to Spanish Capital

Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the Spanish capital, Madrid, next Tuesday to confer with parliament members following his visit to Paris, the chamber of deputies disclosed. The Ukrainian president will convene with deputies from all houses of the legislature throughout his stay, an official announcement said.