Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Narrowly Escapes Ukrainian Drone Strike Amid Kursk Visit
A Russian military commander has claimed that President Vladimir Putin&rsquo;s helicopter narrowly escaped a Ukrainian drone attack while flying over the Kursk region on 20 May, suggesting it was caught in the midst of a significant aerial assault. The commander alleged that Russian air defence units were simultaneously engaged in repelling the drone incursion while ensuring the security of the presidential flight.
According to the account, the president&rsquo;s aircraft was &ldquo;effectively at the epicentre&rdquo; of the aerial confrontation, though no independent evidence has been provided to support the claim. Observers have pointed out that such assertions may be aimed at strengthening Putin&rsquo;s domestic image by portraying him as being directly exposed to the dangers of the ongoing conflict.
Putin had travelled to Kursk Oblast earlier that week, marking his first known visit to the region since Russian forces regained control of Ukrainian-held territory in March. The area had been under partial Ukrainian occupation following a cross-border incursion in August 2024 &mdash; the largest foreign military advance onto Russian soil since the Second World War. The Ukrainian presence was eventually rolled back through a Russian counteroffensive reportedly bolstered by North Korean military support.
Meanwhile, Russia launched its most extensive aerial assault of the war overnight, targeting multiple Ukrainian cities with a reported 367 drones and missiles. The barrage left at least 12 civilians dead, including three children in the northern Zhytomyr region, and dozens more injured.
In response to the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a renewed plea to the United States and the wider international community. Criticising what he described as global passivity, Zelensky urged a stronger stance against Moscow. He suggested that the muted reaction from Washington, particularly under the administration of President Donald Trump, was emboldening Russia.
"Every such terrorist Russian strike is reason enough for new sanctions," Zelensky said in a statement shared on Telegram, adding that continued silence from powerful allies only serves to encourage further aggression.
Though the assault marked a record in terms of the number of aerial weapons launched, previous attacks have resulted in higher death tolls. Nonetheless, the scale of the latest strike signals a further escalation in the war&rsquo;s intensity, with both sides hardening their positions as the conflict drags on.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (image source social media)

Russian president’s aircraft reportedly caught in Ukrainian drone assault near Kursk

Putin’s Helicopter in Suspected Drone Strike

Russian president’s aircraft reportedly caught in Ukrainian drone assault near Kursk

May 26, 2025 | 06:34 IST