Putin’s assassination plot by Ukraine foiled, says Russian military

Reports have emerged from inside the Russian military, saying that Putin was the target of an assassination attempt by Ukraine.

It is being reported that an attack drone from Ukraine was in the flight path of Putin's helicopter with a deliberate attempt to assassinate him, but was foiled by Russian air defence.

Epicentre of drone attack

Putin's helicopter was supposedly at the "epicentre" of a Ukrainian drone strike in the Kursk region attack on May 20, but air defence systems intercepted the drone and destroyed it before it could reach the president's flight path, said Russia's air defence unit commander Yuriy Dashkin, according to the Russian news agency RBC.

The commander told the news agency that from May 20 to 22, Russia came under a massive drone attack from Ukraine, with the country's air defence "destroying" as many as 1,170 drones.

Also read: Trump calls Putin 'absolutely crazy' after Russia's fierce offensive on Ukraine

He said during Putin's visit to the Kursk region on May 20, there was an "unprecedented attack" airstrike from Ukraine, as air defence "shot down" 46 drones.

Commander Dashkin on the attack

"I would like to point out that the intensity of the attack significantly increased during the flight of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's aircraft over the territory of the Kursk region. Therefore, we were simultaneously engaged in an air battle and ensured the safety of the president's helicopter in the airspace," Dashkin said.

He also mentioned that the drone approaching the flight path of Putin's helicopter was immediately detected and neutralised by the air defence.

Also read: Massive Russian drone-and-missile attack on Ukraine kills at least 12 people

Putin was in Kursk earlier this week, his first visit to the region since March. No injuries or damage were reported in the incident, and the Russian President's convoy continued without interruption.

Putin's first visit to Kursk Oblast

The incident did raise concerns about the capabilities of the Ukrainian drone, with Russian authorities probing whether the strike was an attempted assassination or a broader psychological operation by Kyiv.

The incident reportedly took place on May 20, during what was Putin’s first publicised visit to Kursk Oblast since Russian troops reclaimed most of the region from Ukrainian control in March.

Also read: Trump speaks to Putin, says Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks will begin immediately

However, Ukrainian analysts and observers have cast doubts on the framing of the event, suggesting it may be part of a narrative aimed at portraying the Russian leader as personally exposed to danger, thereby boosting domestic support.

Putin 'well protected'

In January 2025, former Fox anchor Tucker Carlson claimed that former President Joe Biden's administration had attempted to assassinate Putin.

Carlson made this allegation on his podcast, ‘The Tucker Carlson Show’. However, he did not back his claim with evidence.

Also read: Russian drones attack Ukraine after Kremlin turns down ceasefire proposal

Back then, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian president was well-protected from potential threats, which could be proven by this incident.

Ukraine action in Kursk

In the first major foreign military advancement into Russian territory since World War II, Ukraine in August 2024 launched a cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast.

Since then, Ukrainian forces have maintained a hold on parts of the region. However, on March 25, Russia launched a large-scale counter-offensive, reportedly aided by North Korean forces, and drove them back.

Also read: Zelenskyy hopes for ceasefire with Russia, challenges Putin to meet him in Turkiye 'personally'

This was emphasised further when Russian forces launched a barrage of 367 drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities overnight in the largest aerial attack of the war so far, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more, officials said.

The dead included three children in the northern region of Zhytomyr.

US softer on Russia now

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on other nations such as the United States, saying that "the silence of America, the silence of others in the world only encourages Putin."

The United States, since the start of the Donald Trump Presidency, has taken a dramatically softer stance on the Russia invasion.