🔗 Share this article

Ukrainian authorities have declared the commencement of large-scale manufacturing for a new locally engineered interceptor drone to strengthen its air defences. The first three manufacturers have started manufacturing, with an additional eleven getting ready to set up production lines, the defence ministry stated this past Friday.

Advanced 'Octopus' System Proven in Combat Situations

The drones will be based on a domestically developed system called “Octopus” engineered to neutralize Iranian-made drones. This technology has been tested in combat and proved effective “at night, amid electronic warfare and at low altitudes,” the ministry stated. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set an ambitious goal of producing as many as 1,000 defensive drones each day.

Latest Attack on the Capital Characterized as Calculated

The Ukrainian president described Russia’s latest attack against Ukraine as “intentional, premeditated and wicked” after six individuals were killed and dozens injured in a wave of night-time strikes across Kyiv. Alert systems activated in the capital just after midnight on Friday, with enemy UAVs quickly heard overhead and heavy machine-gun fire from Ukraine's aerial protection units.

Zelenskyy reported the nation was hit by hundreds of UAVs and multiple missiles. Those killed had been inside their residences in a block of flats on the capital's left bank when it was hit. Numerous of other buildings were damaged, including the diplomatic mission of Azerbaijan.

Diplomatic Objection Following Diplomatic Compound Destruction

The Azerbaijani government said it delivered a formal objection to Moscow's diplomatic representative this past Friday after the embassy damage. The blast from a Moscow's missile destroyed a section of the embassy’s perimeter wall and caused significant destruction to the embassy grounds, officials from Baku stated. No one was hurt, and a ministry spokesperson confirmed the diplomatic mission in Ukraine was maintaining operations.

Moscow's Aerial Bomb Production Experiences Major Expansion

Moscow plans to produce up to 120,000 guided aerial bombs this year, a senior Ukrainian intelligence official disclosed, among them 500 of a new, extended-range model that is capable of targeting additional urban centers. Moscow's military were firing 200 to 250 glide bombs daily, with the previous month's daily average standing at about 170, based on official military statistics.

Ukrainian Strikes Target Moscow's Energy Infrastructure

Moscow's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk temporarily suspended crude shipments this past Friday – equivalent to two percent of global supply – after a Ukrainian missile and drone attack. Military commanders in Kyiv stated its forces had launched Neptune cruise missiles and deployed multiple kinds of strike drones in the assault against Novorossiysk “as part of efforts to reduce the strategic capabilities of the invading force.”

Ukraine separately struck an oil refinery in the Saratov area and an energy depot in nearby Engels overnight.

International Sanctions Affect Moscow's Energy Company

Russia’s second-largest energy company Lukoil said this past Friday it is negotiating with potential buyers regarding its international holdings after last month’s sanctions from Western nations and failure of a deal with commodity trader Gunvor. “The specific deal will be announced after the final agreements have been reached and required authorizations have been obtained,” Lukoil stated.

Zelenskyy Plans Visit to Spanish Capital

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to travel to the city of Madrid, Madrid, next Tuesday to confer with lawmakers following his trip to France, the chamber of deputies announced. The Ukrainian president will convene with deputies from both chambers of the legislature during his visit, the Spanish statement said.