Was Putin targeted? Russian commander claims president’s helicopter was ‘at the epicentre’ of Ukrainian attack | World News

A Russian military commander of an air defense division, Yury Dashkin, has claimed that President Vladimir Putin’s helicopter was “at the epicentre” of a Ukrainian drone attack on May 20 in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. “We were simultaneously engaged in an air defense battle and ensuring airspace security for the president’s helicopter flight,” he said, The Kyiv Independent reported citing Russian news agency RBC.
“The helicopter was effectively at the epicenter of the response to the massive drone attack,” Dashkin added.
The claim, made five days after the incident, has not been independently verified. Dashkin provided no evidence to support the claim, and Russian authorities have not released further details.
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Observers skeptical of motive
According to The Kyiv Independent, Ukrainian observers suggested that the statement may be a political move aimed at portraying Putin as directly involved in the war zone and under personal threat — a narrative that could strengthen domestic support.

Putin’s visit to Kursk earlier this week marked his first known trip to the region since Russian forces reclaimed most of the territory from Ukrainian control in March.
Drone attacks have increasingly targeted Russian regions near the Ukraine border, including Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk oblasts. Recently, there was a deadly wave of attacks Moscow, where 367 drones and missiles were launched in a single night — the highest recorded since the war began, according to Ukrainian officials.
US President Donald Trump has accused Putin of “needlessly killing a lot of people” in a strongly worded post on Truth Social. “Missiles and drones are being shot into cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever,” Trump wrote Sunday night.
(With inputs from The Kyiv Independent)
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