Putin’s Helicopter Caught in Ukrainian Drone Attack Over Kursk Region

A helicopter carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin came under threat during a Ukrainian drone attack in the Kursk region, according to Air Defense Division Commander Yuri Dashkin said.

He stated that the president’s aircraft was in the air at the time of a massive enemy drone assault. The pressure from Ukrainian forces increased significantly once they realized who was flying over the region, Dashkin claimed.

“Therefore, we simultaneously engaged in an air defense battle and ensured the safety of the president’s helicopter flight," Yuri Dashkin, Air Defense Division Commander said.

Thanks to coordinated actions by Russian forces, all targets were reportedly destroyed and the Ukrainian attack was fully repelled.

Putin Visits Kursk Region for First Time Since Liberation from Ukrainian Forces

On May 20, 2025, President Vladimir Putin made his first trip to the Kursk region since its full liberation from Ukrainian troops.

“In the city of Kurchatov, Vladimir Putin held a meeting with municipal leaders of the Kursk region. The president also visited the construction site of the new Kursk Nuclear Power Plant-2,” the Kremlin press service reported.

Putin said he decided to visit the liberated region in person to get a first-hand look at the situation. While the military and intelligence services regularly brief him, he emphasized the importance of direct dialogue with residents and local authorities.

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Vatican City officially the Vatican City State (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano; Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae), is a landlocked sovereign state and city-state. It is surrounded by Rome, the capital city of Italy, which it was historically a part of. It became independent from the Kingdom of Italy in 1929 with the Lateran Treaty. It is governed by the Holy See, itself a sovereign entity under international law, which maintains its temporal power, governance, diplomacy, and spiritual independence. Vatican is also used as a metonym for the pope, the Holy See, and the Roman Curia. With an area of 49 hectares (121 acres) and a population of about 882 in 2024, it is the smallest sovereign state in the world both by area and by population. It is among the least populated capitals in the world. As governed by the Holy See, Vatican City State is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical state ruled by the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church. The highest state functionaries are all Catholic clergy of various origins. After the Avignon Papacy (1309– 1377) the popes have mainly resided at the Apostolic Palace within what is now Vatican City, although at times residing instead in the Quirinal Palace in Rome or elsewhere.