Was Putin's Helicopter Targeted During a Ukrainian Drone Assault?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Putin's helicopter was reportedly targeted during a Ukrainian drone offensive.
- Russian air defenses intercepted and destroyed numerous incoming UAVs.
- The incident occurred during Putin's visit to the Kursk Region.
- This marks a significant escalation in drone warfare tactics.
- Russian officials claim to have neutralized all aerial threats.
Moscow, May 25 (NationPress) - A senior Russian military official has disclosed that President Vladimir Putin's helicopter found itself at the "epicentre" of a significant Ukrainian drone offensive during his initial visit to the liberated Kursk Region earlier this week.
Fortunately, the air defence units in the area successfully thwarted the attack, ensuring the President's safety. Yury Dashkin, a commander of an air defence division, shared this information in an interview aired on channel Russia 1, as reported by RT.
According to Dashkin, Putin's helicopter was unexpectedly located "in the epicentre of an operation to defend against a substantial drone attack by the enemy" while in the Kursk Region.
During this pivotal visit on Tuesday, following the region's full liberation from Ukrainian forces in April, Putin engaged with Governor Aleksandr Khinshtein and local municipal leaders, as well as volunteers aiding those affected by the repelled Ukrainian incursion, as noted by the Kremlin.
At that juncture, Ukraine launched an "unprecedented" assault of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on the region. However, Dashkin stated that Russian air defences successfully destroyed 46 incoming fixed-wing UAVs.
"I want to highlight that the intensity of the attacks escalated significantly during the flight of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's aircraft over the Kursk Region," he remarked.
The air defence forces had to "simultaneously engage in anti-aircraft combat while ensuring the safety of the President’s helicopter in the air. This mission was accomplished, and the enemy drone assault was repelled with all aerial targets neutralized," Dashkin added.
According to Russian sources, Ukraine has markedly increased its drone strikes across the country over the past week. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow reported that 764 drones were intercepted within Russian territory between Tuesday and Friday. The Defence Ministry indicated that the scale of these assaults has not diminished, with hundreds of additional UAVs being destroyed over the weekend.