It was finally reported on May 25 by air defense division commander Yuri Dashkin that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s helicopter was at the epicenter of repelling a large-scale attack by Ukrainian drones during his visit to the Kursk Region on May 20. The drone attack involved upwards of 500 drones just as President Putin’s helicopter was arriving in the region. “Therefore, we simultaneously conducted an air defense battle and ensured the safety of the presidential helicopter’s flight in the air,” Dashkin reported in an interview with Russian television.