Putin has narrow escape as Ukrainian drone targets his helicopter in Russia’s Kursk region

Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly had a narrow escape after a Ukrainian drone attempted to target his helicopter during a late-night flight over the sensitive border region of Kursk. Russian air defence systems intercepted and destroyed the drone before it could reach the president’s air route, officials said.

The dramatic incident took place during Putin’s visit to Kursk, his first since Moscow announced in April that it had repelled Ukrainian forces from the region. Russian media cited unnamed defence officials who described the attack as a “coordinated and deliberate” attempt to strike the presidential convoy in mid-air. “A drone was detected approaching the flight path of the president’s helicopter. It was immediately neutralised by our air defence forces before it posed any threat,” a senior officer told state media.

No injuries or damage were reported, and Putin’s entourage continued without interruption. Security agencies are investigating how a Ukrainian drone



breached Kursk’s airspace and whether the strike was an attempted assassination or part of a psychological strategy by Kyiv.

There has been no official comment from Ukraine’s government or military on the reported drone strike. However, Ukraine has in the past targeted strategic Russian locations, and the Kursk region has remained a flashpoint since a surprise Ukrainian incursion there in August 2024—seen as a major symbolic blow to Moscow during the ongoing war. Russia claimed it had regained full control of Kursk on April 26, but Kyiv has disputed this. Putin’s latest visit was seen as a show of strength following that operation.

Tensions remain high, with the Kremlin rejecting recent US and European ceasefire proposals. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the West of using truce talks to buy time for rearming Ukraine. Meanwhile, Kyiv and its allies have claimed North Korea sent as many as 12,000 troops to aid Russia in retaking Kursk—an assertion Moscow has not officially confirmed.