Putin's Helicopter Was ‘Near Epicenter' Of Ukrainian Drone Attack: Russian Military Officer
Last Updated:
His remark came on the same day when Russia attacked Ukrainian Kyiv and other regions with drones and missiles. The attack claimed 12 lives and injured dozens.
A Russian military commander has claimed that President Vladimir Putin's helicopter was 'at the epicenter" of a Ukrainian drone attack during a flight over Russia's Kursk Oblast on May 20.
Yury Dashkin, commander of an air defense division, told Russian news outlet RBC on May 25 that his unit was simultaneously repelling a 'massive" drone attack while ensuring the safety of the president's aircraft.
'We were simultaneously engaged in an air defense battle and ensuring airspace security for the president's helicopter flight," he said.
His remark came on the same day when Russia attacked Ukrainian Kyiv and other regions with drones and missiles. The attack claimed 12 lives and injured dozens.
Notably, it was the largest single attack by Russia in the more than three-years-long war, according to Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force.
He also told The Associated Press that Russia used a total of 69 missiles of various types and 298 drones, including Iranian-designed Shahed drones in the attack.
It was 'the most massive strike in terms of the number of air attack weapons on the territory of Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022," Ihnat said.
top videos
View All
Meanwhile, following the attack, US President Donald Trump lashed out at Putin and said the latter has gone 'absolutely crazy".
Taking to his Truth Social platform, 'I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY! He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I'm not just talking about soldier."
Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated!
First Published:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump Calls Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb 'Badass', But Has This Worry About Putin
/ Jun 05, 2025, 09:11PM IST U.S. President Donald Trump has lauded Ukraine for its Operation Spiderweb, the military operation that destroyed more than 40 Russian strategic bombers across several airfields deep in Russia's territory. According to an Axios report, a source claimed that the U.S. President called the strikes as "strong" and "badass". However, Trump is concerned that the attack could prove to be a setback to his diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire.
The Print
30 minutes ago
- The Print
After Trump-Putin call, Kremlin backs claim White House brokered India-Pakistan ‘ceasefire'
'The Middle East was discussed, as well as the armed conflict between India and Pakistan, which has been halted with the personal involvement of President Trump,' the statement read. In a statement issued Wednesday, following a 70-minute phone call between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin credited the US president with personally helping to de-escalate the four-day confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. New Delhi: The Kremlin has publicly acknowledged US President Donald Trump's assertion that he played a key role in halting military escalation along the Line of Control (LoC) post-Operation Sindoor. The statement appeared to endorse a narrative that Trump has promoted in the past month repeatedly—his diplomatic efforts were instrumental in halting the armed military conflict between India and Pakistan. During a press conference earlier this week, Donald Trump, alongside Elon Musk, declared, 'We stopped India and Pakistan from fighting. I believe that could have turned into a nuclear disaster.' The US President added that trade considerations played a role in persuading both countries to step back from the brink. The Kremlin's claim echoed remarks Donald Trump has also made during the recent US visit of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, where the American President again described his involvement as decisive in preventing a broader conflict between the two South Asian countries. The US government, in a court statement earlier, defended its right to presidential tariff powers by citing the use of trade incentives to end armed hostilities between India and Pakistan post-Operation Sindoor. The Donald Trump administration told a federal court on 23 May in New York that the President leveraged US trade access as a bargaining tool to help 'avert a full-scale war between India and Pakistan'. India, however, has flatly denied that the Trump administration played any formal role in ending the hostilities. New Delhi has maintained that Islamabad initiated the de-escalation talks on 10 May and that no third-party mediation was sought or required. In Washington, as part of a diplomatic delegation, Shashi Tharoor dismissed Trump's characterisation. 'We have enormous respect for the American presidency, but we have never particularly wanted to ask anyone to mediate,' Tharoor said. Indian officials have publicly released the details of high-level contacts with US counterparts during Operation Sindoor, emphasising the absence of any trade discussion. The disclosures show that US Vice President J.D. Vance spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to the Indian External Affairs Minister and the National Security Adviser on multiple occasions between 8 and 10 May. On the other hand, Islamabad has repeatedly acknowledged the mediation role of Donald Trump. Speaking at an event held in the US Embassy in the capital on Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended the US President for helping de-escalate tensions with India and called on the US to play a more active role in facilitating a comprehensive dialogue between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Russia-Ukraine conflict The Kremlin statement provided further details on the Trump-Putin conversation, which began with a discussion on the ongoing war in Ukraine. President Putin, talking about the outcome of the second round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, accused the Ukrainian forces of targeting civilians while framing such actions as state-sponsored terrorism under international law. He emphasised the restraint Russia showed and noted that the talks produced memoranda, which would come under review in Moscow and Kyiv. Other topics of discussion mentioned in the statement were the stalled negotiations over the Iranian nuclear programme, with Trump reportedly asking for Russian assistance in reviving dialogue with Tehran. The two leaders also explored possibilities for restoring broader US-Russia cooperation, a goal both described as holding 'enormous potential'. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: IS Khorasan Province declares 'war' against Baloch groups, activists. What it means for Af-Pak
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Putin wants puppet govt in Moldova to deploy troops in breakaway region Transnistria, warns PM
Moldova's Prime Minister Dorin Recean has warned that Vladimir Putin wants to install a puppet government in the country so it can strengthen Russia's hold on the breakaway region of Transnistria. read more Vladimir Putin wants to install a puppet government in Moldova so it can strengthen Russia's hold on the breakaway region of Transnistria, the country's premier has warned. Moldova is sandwiched between Ukraine to the north, east, and south, and Romania to the west. Its border region of Transnistria has been controlled by a pro-Russia regime since 1990. With the Russian backing, the separatists fought and won a brief war with Moldova in 1992. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ahead of elections in the country in September, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean has told Financial Times that Putin is interfering in the country's politics so that he could replace the pro-European Union (EU) government with a pro-Russia, puppet government. If such a puppet government is elected, Putin would deploy 10,000 soldiers in Transnistria, said Recean. 'This is a huge effort to undermine Moldovan democracy' Recean has said that Putin's plot is a bid to undermine Moldova's democracy. 'This is a huge effort to undermine Moldovan democracy. They want to consolidate their military presence in the Transnistrian region,' said Reacan. Since 1992, when Russia intervened in favour of the separatist regime, its soldiers have been stationed in Transnistria. The number, however, is relatively small and it is not easy to deploy more soldiers as the region is landlocked and has no direct road link to Russia. Recean further said, 'You can imagine with 10,000 troops, what the leverage and pressure would be on the south-western part of Ukraine, but also close to Romania, which is a Nato member state.' Russia has long had eyes on Moldova This is not the first time that Russian interference has been reported in Moldova, formerly a part of the Soviet Union. In last year's referendum about the European Union (EU) membership, unprecedented Russian interference was reported in the form of propaganda dissemination, buying people's votes, and subversive activities like cyberattacks. A narrow majority of people voted to make way for Moldova's EU membership. The process to join the EU began last year and is expected to be completed by 2028-29. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For years, analysts have warned that Moldova could be the next target of Russian aggression after Ukraine as it is a former Soviet republic in Russia's extended neighbourhood and is neither a member of Nato nor the EU. This means the country has no external security blanket like some other countries in Russia's neighbourhood or extended neighbourhood, such as Finland and Romania. Moreover, unlike Ukraine, Moldova has a very small and poorly armed and trained military that is unlikely to withstand any invasion. The country is therefore considered a soft target for Russia.
