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Ukrainian authorities have declared the commencement of mass production for a new locally engineered interceptor drone to strengthen its aerial protection systems. The first three producers have begun manufacturing, with an additional eleven getting ready to set up assembly lines, Ukrainian military officials stated on Friday.

Advanced 'Octopus' System Proven in Combat Situations

The drones will be based on a nationally created system called “Octopus” designed to neutralize Shahed drones. This technology has been tested in combat and proved successful “during nighttime, under jamming and flying low,” officials confirmed. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set a target of manufacturing up to 1,000 defensive drones daily.

Latest Attack on Kyiv Characterized as Calculated

The Ukrainian president characterized Russia’s latest attack against Ukraine as “deliberate, calculated and wicked” after six people lost their lives and many others injured in a series of night-time strikes across Kyiv. Air raid sirens activated in Kyiv just after midnight this past Friday, with enemy UAVs quickly detected 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. Those killed 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.

International Objection Following Diplomatic Compound Destruction

The Azerbaijani government said it delivered a strong protest to Moscow's diplomatic representative on Friday following the destruction at its diplomatic compound. The blast from a Moscow's missile demolished a section of the compound's boundary wall and resulted in serious damage to the embassy grounds, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry stated. There were no personnel injured, and an official representative confirmed the diplomatic mission in Ukraine was maintaining operations.

Moscow's Aerial Bomb Production Sees Major Expansion

Russia plans to manufacture as many as 120,000 glide bombs in the current year, a senior Ukrainian intelligence official said, among them 500 of a new, extended-range model that can reach more towns and cities. Moscow's military have been launching hundreds of glide bombs daily, with the previous month's average daily usage standing at approximately 170, according to defence ministry data.

Kyiv's Attacks Target Russian Oil Facilities

Russia’s Black Sea port of the port city temporarily suspended oil exports on Friday – equivalent to two percent of worldwide oil production – after a strike by Ukrainian forces. Military commanders in Kyiv said its military had launched domestically produced missiles and used multiple kinds of attack UAVs in the assault against Novorossiysk “as part of efforts to diminish the strategic capabilities of the Russian aggressor.”

Ukrainian forces separately struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Saratov region and a fuel storage facility in the adjacent Engels region overnight.

Global Restrictions Impact Moscow's Oil Producer

The number two oil producer Lukoil announced this past Friday it has been in talks with potential buyers regarding its foreign assets after recent sanctions from the UK and the US and the collapse of an agreement with the Gunvor trading house. “The specific deal will be announced after conclusive negotiations are completed and required authorizations are secured,” the company commented.

Ukrainian President Plans Visit to Spain

The Ukrainian leader is scheduled to travel to the city of Madrid, the Spanish capital, on Tuesday to confer with lawmakers a day after his trip to France, the chamber of deputies announced. Zelenskyy would meet deputies from all houses of the legislature during his visit, the Spanish statement said.