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Published fact-check

Did Ukraine launch a major drone and missile attack against Russia and Crimea on April 25, 2026?

Mostly true

Claim checked

“Major drone and missile attack underway tonight against Crimea and Russia by Ukraine, with hundreds of one-way attack drones and cruise missiles currently airborne over Western Russia.”

Published

Updated

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Verdict

Mostly true

While Russian authorities confirmed a significant Ukrainian drone attack on the night of April 25, 2026, the scale and composition of the attack described in the claim are not fully supported. Russia reported intercepting 127 Ukrainian drones, but there is no evidence of "hundreds" of drones or the use of cruise missiles by Ukraine. Notably, reports from the same night indicate that Russia launched a much larger strike against Ukraine involving over 600 drones and 47 missiles.

Reasoning

The claim appears to exaggerate the scale of the Ukrainian operation and may be conflating it with a simultaneous, larger Russian attack.

According to Russian state-affiliated media (Sputnik India), the Russian Ministry of Defense reported shooting down 127 Ukrainian drones over various regions and Crimea. This confirms a notable operation but falls short of the "hundreds" described in the post. Furthermore, none of the available evidence mentions Ukrainian cruise missiles being airborne or used in this specific engagement.

Conversely, multiple sources (UNN, Kyiv Independent) report that Russia conducted one of its largest aerial strikes of the year against Ukraine on the same night, utilizing 619 drones and 47 missiles. The description of "hundreds" of drones and cruise missiles matches the reported Russian offensive much more closely than the Ukrainian response.

Source quality: The evidence includes reports from both Ukrainian and Russian-affiliated sources regarding the events of April 25, 2026, providing a clear picture of the scale of attacks from both sides.

Key checks

  • Verification of Ukrainian drone numbers: Russian state media reported that 127 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight. While significant, this is lower than the 'hundreds' claimed in the post.

  • Evidence of Ukrainian cruise missile use: None of the provided evidence, including Russian military statements, mentions the detection or interception of Ukrainian cruise missiles during this specific overnight window.

  • Scale of simultaneous Russian attack: Reports from the Ukrainian Air Force confirm that Russia launched 619 drones and 47 missiles against Ukraine on the same night, which aligns more closely with the 'hundreds' and 'missiles' terminology used in the claim.

Confidence

High

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