diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 460daff..cb8ce21 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -57,17 +57,24 @@ release:
   stage: release
   when: manual
   variables:
-    TWINE_USERNAME: gitlab-ci-token       # Keep username the same
-    TWINE_PASSWORD: $CI_JOB_TOKEN        # Use PAT stored in GitLab CI/CD Variables
+    TWINE_USERNAME: gitlab-ci-token
+    TWINE_PASSWORD: $CI_JOB_TOKEN
   script:
-    - echo "Setting up Python dependencies..."
-    - source $VIRTUAL_ENV/bin/activate
-    - pip install -r requirements.txt
-    - mkdir -p /app/backend/ssl
-    - rm -f openapi.json || true
-    - rm -rf python-client || true
-    - bash make_openapi_client.sh        # Generate OpenAPI client and package
-    - ls backend/python-client/dist/     # Debug artifacts to ensure files exist
+    # build and run commands within docker container context
+    - docker-compose build backend
+
+    # Run commands inside your 'backend' service container
+    - docker-compose run --rm backend mkdir -p /app/backend/ssl
+    - docker-compose run --rm backend bash make_openapi_client.sh
+
+    # After script finishes execution within the container,
+    # revert to the runner environment context if needed
+    # Assuming 'python-client' is generated and mounted correctly,
+    # subsequent twine commands must be run out of the container
+
+    - ls backend/python-client/dist/  # Ensure files exist
+
+    # install further publishing requirements outside of docker
     - pip install --upgrade build setuptools wheel twine
     - twine check backend/python-client/dist/*
     - twine upload --repository-url ${CI_API_V4_URL}/projects/${CI_PROJECT_ID}/packages/pypi backend/python-client/dist/*
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