Russian President Vladimir Putin’s helicopter was caught in a swarm of Ukrainian drones while he was visiting Russia’s Kursk Oblast on May 20, according to a Russian military commander.
“We were simultaneously engaged in an air defense battle and ensuring airspace security for the president’s helicopter flight,” said Yury Dashkin, the head of Russia’s air defense division.
“The helicopter was effectively at the epicenter of the response to the massive drone attack,” Dashkin added.
The Russian commander said he wanted to stress “the fact that the intensity of the attacks during the flight of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s aircraft over the territory of Kursk Region increased significantly.”
Dashkin said that all of the Ukrainian drones were intercepted during the incident. There’s been no confirmation of the attack from the Ukrainian side, but Ukrainian forces have significantly escalated drone attacks on Russian territory in recent weeks.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday that its forces downed 110 drones over multiple Russian regions. According to RT, Russian forces intercepted 764 drones over Russia from Tuesday to Friday. Back in 2023, Ukraine carried out a drone attack against the Kremlin.
The US has spent at least $1.5 billion on helping Ukraine develop and expand its drone manufacturing program, an effort that was backed by the CIA. The drones have helped Ukraine launch attacks deep inside Russian territory.
