Fact Check: In June alone, Russia launched 2,736 Shahed drones against Ukraine.

Fact Check: "In June alone, Russia launched 2,736 Shahed drones against Ukraine."

What We Know

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine stated during an address to the Dutch parliament that since the beginning of the full-scale war on February 24, 2022, Russia has launched a total of 28,743 Shahed drones against Ukraine. Specifically, he mentioned that in June 2025 alone, Russia launched 2,736 of these drones (Ukrainska Pravda, Yahoo). This figure represents approximately 9.5% of the total drones used since the onset of the conflict.

Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of international solidarity in countering these attacks, attributing Russia's capability to launch such a significant number of drones to its ties with Iran, which supplies these drones (The New Voice of Ukraine, Mezha).

Analysis

The claim that Russia launched 2,736 Shahed drones in June 2025 is supported by multiple credible sources, including direct statements from President Zelenskyy. The consistency of the numbers across various reports lends credibility to the assertion. For instance, both Ukrainska Pravda and Yahoo report the same figures, corroborating Zelenskyy's statement.

Additionally, the context of these drone attacks highlights the ongoing military strategy employed by Russia, which has increasingly relied on drone warfare. The use of Shahed drones, designed in Iran, indicates a significant aspect of Russia's military operations against Ukraine (The New Voice of Ukraine, Zelenskyy in address).

The sources used in this fact-check are reputable and provide direct quotes from official statements, which enhances their reliability. However, it is essential to note that while these reports are consistent, they originate from a context of ongoing conflict, where information can sometimes be politically charged. Nonetheless, the alignment of multiple independent reports on this specific figure strengthens the claim's validity.

Conclusion

The claim that "In June alone, Russia launched 2,736 Shahed drones against Ukraine" is True. This assertion is backed by direct statements from President Zelenskyy and corroborated by multiple reliable news sources. The consistency of the reported figures across these sources further solidifies the accuracy of the claim.