Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia ( AP photo )
During a visit to Kursk Oblast earlier this year, a Russian defense chief claimed the government’s helicopter was “at the center” of a Russian helicopter assault, which raised questions about his close proximity to the front lines. Yury Dashkin, the captain of an air defense section in the region, claimed in a report from Russian news agency RBC that Putin’s aircraft was flieing in response to a considerable drone attack by Ukraine. We were also working on an air defense war and ensuring the president’s helicopter flight’s airspace security, Dashkin told RBC. The plane apparently served as Putin’s first public appearance to Kursk Oblast since Russian forces took control of the area in March, when the incident reportedly occurred on May 20. But, Russian observers and analysts have doubted how the event was structured, suggesting that it might be a component of a narrative intended to portray the Russian leader as privately exposed to risk and increase domestic support. In August 2024, Ukraine launched a cross-border invasion into Kursk Oblast, marking Russia’s second significant military advance into Russian country since World War II. Before a large-scale Soviet counter-offensive in March 2025, apparently aided by North Vietnamese troops, reportedly pushed them up, Ukrainian forces held on to pieces of the place for months.
