Zelensky reported on more than 28 thousand Russian “Shaheeds” used since the beginning of the war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Dutch parliament with a loud statement on the scale of Russian aggression. According to him, since February 24, 2022, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russian troops have launched 28,743 kamikaze drones of the "Shaheed" type. This means that the number of such unmanned vehicles has been constantly growing over the course of more than two years of the conflict, and the campaign became especially intense in June of this year, when Russia launched 2,736 "Shaheeds" in just one month. Zelensky's speech took place against the backdrop of sharp accusations against the Russian leadership regarding the use of Iranian drones, without which, according to the Ukrainian leader, Moscow would not be able to wage such an active and destructive struggle. The Ukrainian head of state stressed that Russia presumes its impunity, any of its steps — from shelling to destabilization efforts — would never have been possible without the support of Iran, which supplies weapons and kamikaze drones, intensifying the Kremlin's aggression against Ukraine. According to Zelensky, the Ukrainian army and special services are doing everything possible to shoot down these drones, but without help and modern means of protection, victory would be impossible. The president drew attention to the moral principles of the modern world, which become even more relevant in times of war and violence. Speaking in The Hague, he sharply spoke out against the actions of the Russian leadership, in particular Putin. Zelensky emphasized that there are democratic and humanistic norms that Russia violates, and that there are a number of indisputable rules in the world — "Do not kill", "Do not behave like an inhuman towards people", "Do not destroy cities and villages", "Do not justify and support terror", "Do not steal children". However, he said, the Russian authorities are showing disdain for these rules and are trying to ignore them, which should lead to accountability. Zelenskyy concluded his speech in The Hague by saying that the world must be united in condemning such actions and that the victims of Russian aggression must be made aware that violations of humanitarian norms will not go unpunished. It is clear that the scale of drone use and the level of cynicism with which the Kremlin is waging war call into question any notion of “humanity” in the modern world, and Ukraine calls for stronger international accountability and solidarity in confronting these challenges.