Putin focused? Russian commander says chopper was ‘at epicenter’ of Ukrainian drone attack

Russian President Vladimir Putin (AP file photograph)

A Russian army commander has claimed that President Vladimir Putin‘s helicopter was “at the epicenter” of a Ukrainian drone attack earlier this week throughout a go to to Kursk Oblast, elevating questions in regards to the president’s proximity to the frontlines.According to a report by Russian information company RBC, Yury Dashkin, commander of an air defence division within the area, mentioned that Putin’s plane was flying as Russian forces had been repelling a major drone assault by Ukraine.“We were simultaneously engaged in an air defence battle and ensuring airspace security for the president’s helicopter flight,” Dashkin instructed RBC. “The helicopter was effectively at the epicenter of the response to the massive drone attack.”The incident reportedly happened on May 20, throughout what was Putin’s first publicised go to to Kursk Oblast since Russian troops reclaimed most of the area from Ukrainian management in March.However, Ukrainian observers and analysts have forged doubt on the framing of the occasion, suggesting it might be half 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 War 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.