🔗 Share this article

Ukrainian authorities have declared the start of large-scale manufacturing for an innovative locally engineered defensive UAV to strengthen its aerial protection systems. Three initial producers have begun manufacturing, with an additional eleven preparing to establish production lines, the defence ministry stated this past Friday.

'Octopus' Technology Tested in Combat Conditions

These UAVs utilize a nationally created technology known as “Octopus” engineered to intercept Iranian-made drones. The system has been tested in actual battle and proved effective “during nighttime, under jamming and at low altitudes,” officials confirmed. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set a target of manufacturing up to 1,000 interceptors each day.

Latest Attack on the Capital Characterized as Deliberate

Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Moscow's most recent assault against Ukraine as “deliberate, premeditated and brutal” following six individuals were killed and dozens wounded in a wave of night-time strikes across Kyiv. Air raid sirens activated in Kyiv shortly after midnight this past Friday, with enemy UAVs soon detected overhead and heavy machine-gun fire from Ukrainian air defences.

The president stated the country was targeted by hundreds of UAVs and multiple missiles. Those killed were inside their residences in an apartment building on Kyiv’s left bank during the strike. Dozens of other buildings were damaged, including the diplomatic mission of Azerbaijan.

International Protest After Embassy Damage

The Azerbaijani government announced it delivered a formal objection to the Russian ambassador this past Friday following the embassy damage. The blast from a Moscow's missile destroyed part of the compound's boundary wall and caused significant destruction to the embassy grounds, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry reported. No one was hurt, and a ministry spokesperson said the diplomatic mission in Ukraine was maintaining operations.

Moscow's Glide Bomb Manufacturing Sees Major Expansion

Russia intends to produce as many as 120,000 guided aerial bombs this year, a senior Ukrainian intelligence official said, among them 500 of an innovative, longer-range version that can reach more towns and cities. Moscow's military were firing 200 to 250 glide bombs per day, with last month’s average daily usage being about 170, according to official military statistics.

Ukrainian Attacks Target Russian Oil Facilities

Russia’s maritime terminal of Novorossiysk temporarily suspended oil exports on Friday – representing two percent of worldwide oil production – after a strike by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine’s general staff stated its military had fired Neptune cruise missiles and deployed various types of strike drones in the attack on Novorossiysk “within the framework of operations to reduce the strategic capabilities of the invading force.”

Ukrainian forces separately targeted a processing plant in Russia’s Saratov region and a fuel storage facility in nearby Engels during the night.

International Sanctions Affect Moscow's Oil Producer

The number two energy company Lukoil announced this past Friday it is negotiating with interested parties concerning its foreign assets following last month’s restrictions from the UK and the US and the collapse of an agreement with commodity trader Gunvor. “Final arrangements are to be disclosed after conclusive negotiations are completed and the necessary regulatory approvals are secured,” Lukoil commented.

Ukrainian President Plans Visit to Spain

The Ukrainian leader is scheduled to travel to the city of Madrid, Madrid, next Tuesday to confer with lawmakers a day after his trip to France, the chamber of deputies announced. Zelenskyy would meet representatives from all houses of parliament during his visit, an official announcement confirmed.