New Delhi : A Russian military commander 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, according to a report by the Kyiv Independent. “We were simultaneously engaged in an air defence battle and ensuring airspace security for the president’s helicopter flight,” Dashkin said. “The helicopter was effectively at the epicentre of the response to the massive drone attack.”
Putin visited Kursk earlier in the week, marking his first known trip to the region since Russian forces recaptured much of the territory from Ukrainian control in March. Ukrainian observers said that the statement may be an attempt to boost public support for President Putin by portraying him as being more directly involved in frontline developments.
Ukrainian forces held significant ground until a Russian counter-offensive, aided by North Korean troops, pushed them back in March. The Russia-Ukraine war dates back to February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, beginning the biggest conflict in Europe since World War 2.
Russia claimed it was conducting a “special military operation” to demilitarise Ukraine and protect Russian-speaking populations in the east. But the attack was widely condemned as an unprovoked act of aggression. Recently, the Russian President, following a conversation with US President Donald Trump, said that he is ready to work with Ukraine to end the ongoing conflict.
