Russian President Vladimir Putin’s helicopter was caught in an aerial barrage of Ukrainian drones during his visit to the Kursk region, Russian and Ukrainian media reported on Sunday.
Yuri Dashkin, Russia’s air defense commander in the Kursk region, claimed that while Putin was in the air, Russian forces repelled a Ukrainian drone attack.
“The intensity of the attack during the flight of the aircraft carrying the supreme commander over the territory of the Kursk region significantly increased,” Dashkin said, as reported by Russian state media site Vesti.
“We simultaneously conducted air defense combat and ensured air safety during the president’s helicopter flight. [The president’s helicopter was] essentially at the epicenter of repelling a massive attack by enemy drones.”
Moscow state media reported that the Russian Air Force destroyed 46 drones during the attack.
Russia launches record-breaking attack on Kyiv
Overnight on Saturday, Russia launched a record-breaking attack on Ukraine in several regions of the country, including the capital, Kyiv. The attack involved some 298 drones and 69 missiles, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
In a statement on his Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky slammed what he perceived as international silence on the attack, claiming that it emboldened Putin.
“Each such terrorist attack by Russia is a sufficient reason for new sanctions against Russia. Russia is dragging out this war and continues to kill every day,” he said.
“The world may go on vacation, but the war continues, despite weekends and weekdays. This cannot be ignored. America’s silence, and the silence of others in the world, only encourages Putin.”
However, later on Sunday evening, Trump’s Special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, called the Russian attack a violation of the Geneva Convention.
“The indiscriminate killing of women and children at night in their homes is a clear violation of the 1977 Geneva Peace Protocols designed to protect innocents,” he wrote.
This is Kyiv. The indiscriminate killing of women and children at night in their homes is a clear violation of the 1977 Geneva Peace Protocols designed to protect innocents. These attacks are shameful. Stop the killing. Ceasefire now. pic.twitter.com/89XRWZcP21
— Keith Kellogg (@generalkellogg) May 25, 2025
On Sunday afternoon, Moscow’s Domodedovo airport shut down after Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that a large Ukrainian drone attack was heading towards the city.
Additionally, Russia and Ukraine exchanged 1,000 prisoners over the weekend, leadership from both countries confirmed on Sunday.
“I thank the team that worked around the clock to successfully carry out this exchange,” Zelesnky wrote on X/Twitter. “We will definitely bring back every single one of our people from Russian captivity.”
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