🔗 Share this article

Ukraine has announced the commencement of large-scale manufacturing for a new domestically developed interceptor drone to enhance its air defences. Three initial producers have started manufacturing, with 11 more getting ready to establish assembly lines, Ukrainian military officials announced this past Friday.

'Octopus' Technology Proven in Combat Conditions

The drones will be based on a domestically developed technology called “Octopus” engineered to neutralize Iranian-made drones. The system has been tested in combat and demonstrated effective “during nighttime, amid electronic warfare and flying low,” officials stated. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set a target of producing up to 1,000 interceptors each day.

Recent Attack on Kyiv Described as Calculated

Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Moscow's most recent assault against Ukraine as “intentional, premeditated and brutal” after six people lost their lives and many others wounded in a series of nocturnal attacks throughout Kyiv. Alert systems activated in the capital just after midnight this past Friday, with enemy UAVs soon heard overhead and heavy machine-gun fire from Ukraine's aerial protection units.

The president reported the country was targeted by hundreds of UAVs and multiple missiles. The deceased were at home in an apartment building on the capital's left bank when it was hit. Dozens of additional structures were damaged, among them the diplomatic mission of Azerbaijan.

Diplomatic Objection After Embassy Damage

The Azerbaijani government announced it issued a strong protest to the Russian ambassador this past Friday after the embassy damage. An explosion from a Russian Iskander missile destroyed a section of the compound's boundary wall and resulted in significant destruction to the embassy grounds, officials from Baku stated. There were no personnel was hurt, and a ministry spokesperson said the diplomatic mission in Ukraine was maintaining operations.

Russian Aerial Bomb Production Sees Significant Increase

Russia plans to produce as many as 120,000 guided aerial bombs in the current year, a senior Ukrainian intelligence official said, among them 500 of a new, longer-range version that can reach additional urban centers. Russian forces were firing hundreds of glide bombs per day, with last month’s average daily usage standing at about 170, according to defence ministry data.

Kyiv's Strikes Target Moscow's Oil Facilities

Russia’s Black Sea port of the port city halted for a period oil exports this past Friday – representing two percent of worldwide oil production – following a Ukrainian missile and drone attack. Ukraine’s general staff stated its military had fired Neptune cruise missiles and used various types of strike drones in the attack on Novorossiysk “within the framework of efforts to diminish the strategic capabilities of the Russian aggressor.”

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

International Restrictions Affect Moscow's Energy Company

The number two oil producer Lukoil said this past Friday it is negotiating with potential buyers concerning its foreign assets after last month’s sanctions from Western nations and the collapse of a deal with commodity trader Gunvor. “The specific deal will be announced once the final agreements are completed and the necessary regulatory approvals are secured,” Lukoil commented.

Zelenskyy Plans Visit to Spain

Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the city of Madrid, the Spanish capital, on Tuesday to meet with lawmakers following his trip to France, the chamber of deputies disclosed. The Ukrainian president will convene with deputies from both chambers of parliament during his visit, an official announcement said.