During a visit to the Kursk region, Putin's helicopter found itself at the epicenter of an 'unprecedented' attack by Ukrainian drones

Russian President Vladimir Putin's helicopter was involved in a high-risk incident last week during a visit to the Kursk region, when it was targeted by an "unprecedented Ukrainian drone assault,”  according to Major General Yuri Dashkin, air defense commander.

The event, which occurred while Putin was traveling on board, forced Russian forces to conduct an "air defence battle" to ensure the safety of the presidential helicopter.

Gen. Dashkin detailed that the attack took place during Putin's visit to Kursk, a border region that Ukraine partially occupied in August 2024 before being repelled by Russian counteroffensives.

"During the period when the president was working in the Kursk region, the enemy launched an unprecedented attack with unmanned aerial vehicles,”  Dashkin said.

He further added that Russian forces destroyed several Ukrainian drones, managing to repel the attack and protect the helicopter.

“The task was accomplished. The attack of the enemy drones was repelled, and all air targets were hit," he assured.

So far, no involvement in the incident has been officially confirmed by Ukraine.

During his visit on Tuesday, Putin met with volunteers, municipal leaders and acting governor Alexander Khinshtein and inspected the construction of the Kursk-II nuclear power plant.

This was his first visit to the region since April 26, although in March, he had been at a command post in Kursk wearing an olive-green military uniform.

Putin is believed to have been traveling in a Mi-17 helicopter, a derivative model of the Soviet-era Mi-8, capable of carrying up to 30 passengers or four tons of cargo.

The Mi-17 is equipped with defensive systems such as infrared jammers, flare launchers and armor to counter thermally guided missiles and small arms fire.

However, these systems are insufficient against coordinated drone attacks, requiring escorts and additional ground protection for flights in risky areas.

The frequency and scale of these attacks have put Russian air defense systems under pressure.