Russian President Vladimir Putin’s helicopter came under fire from Ukrainian drones during his visit to the contested Kursk region last week, the Kremlin has admitted.
Yury Dashkin, commander of an air defense division, revealed Sunday that while Putin made his victory rounds in the reconquered Russian region on May 20, his helicopter was caught in the middle of an aerial barrage from Kyiv, state news agency TASS reported.
The helicopter was “virtually at the epicenter of repelling a large-scale attack by the enemy’s drones,” Dashkin claimed.
The Kremlin admitted Putin’s helicopter came under fire while visiting the Kursk region last week. Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the Kursk-II nuclear power plant under construction, in the Kursk region. via REUTERS“Therefore, we simultaneously conducted an air defense battle and ensured the safety of the presidential helicopter’s flight in the air,” he added.
Dashkin provided no evidence to the claim, and the account could not be independently verified.
Kyiv has yet to make a statement over the alleged attack.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Mil MI-8 helicopter arrives to the opening ceremony of the monument to Prince Alexander Nevsky and His Guard. Getty ImagesPutin visited Kursk on May 20 for the first time since his forces drove out Ukraine last month, touting his troops for putting an end to the counter-incursion that humiliated Moscow.
During the trip, both sides reported drone and missile exchanges across multiple regions along the border, attacks that continue to intensify this week.
The revelation of the attack came just before Russia launched its biggest ever drone and missile strike on Ukraine — drawing a rebuke from President Trump.
Russian President Vladimir Putin operates a Mi-171A2 helicopter flight simulator. SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty ImagesDespite Trump slamming Putin as “crazy,” Moscow continued a third wave of large-scale attacks against Ukraine on Sunday night into Monday morning.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported a total of 363 “air attack vehicles,” nine cruise missiles and 335 attack drones in the latest bombardment.
While all the missiles and 228 drones were shot down or neutralized, impacts were reported in five different regions, the air force said.
“Only a sense of complete impunity can allow Russia to carry out such strikes and constantly increase their scale,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Vladimir Putin attending a meeting with volunteers during a working visit to the Kursk region, Russia. KREMLIN RU/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockFollowing the latest mass barrages from Moscow, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that the West, including the US, will no longer impose any range restrictions on weapons delivered to Ukraine, freeing Kyiv to strike any military facility inside Russia.
“We will do everything in our power to continue supporting Ukraine. This also means no longer having any range restrictions on the weapons we supply,” Merz said.
“Ukraine can now also defend itself by attacking military positions in Russia,” he added.
