Russian President Vladimir Putin’s helicopter was caught in the “epicentre” of a massive Ukrainian drone offensive during his first visit to the liberated Kursk Region earlier this week. A Russian military commander revealed that air defence units in the region managed to beat off the attack and ensured the safety of the President. An air defence division commander, Yury Dashkin, said this in an interview with a Russian channel aired today.

As per Russia, Ukraine significantly intensified its drone strikes inside the country this past week. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow reported that 764 drones had been intercepted over Russian territory between Tuesday and Friday. According to the Defence Ministry, the scale of the assault has not abated, with hundreds more UAVs being destroyed yesterday and today.