A Russian army commander has claimed that President Vladimir Putin’s helicopter was “on the epicenter” of a Ukrainian drone assault earlier this week throughout a go to to Kursk Oblast, elevating questions concerning the president’s proximity to the frontlines.In line with a report by Russian information company RBC, Yury Dashkin, commander of an air defence division within the area, stated that Putin’s plane was flying as Russian forces have been repelling a big drone assault by Ukraine.“We have been concurrently engaged in an air defence battle and making certain airspace safety for the president’s helicopter flight,” Dashkin instructed RBC. “The helicopter was successfully on the epicenter of the response to the huge drone assault.”The incident reportedly passed off on Might 20, throughout what was Putin’s first publicised go to to Kursk Oblast since Russian troops reclaimed a lot of the area from Ukrainian management in March.Nevertheless, Ukrainian observers and analysts have forged doubt on the framing of the occasion, suggesting it could be a part of a story geared toward portraying the Russian chief as personally uncovered to hazard, thereby boosting home assist.Ukraine had launched a crossborder incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, the primary main international army advance onto Russian territory since World Conflict II. Ukrainian forces maintained a maintain on components of the area for months earlier than a large-scale Russian counter-offensive in March 2025, reportedly aided by North Korean forces, drove them again.
