Russia claims Putin survived drone attack on helicopter after Trump called him 'absolutely crazy'
Russian officials have made the extraordinary claim that Vladimir Putin survived a drone attack last week.
The ongoing war between Russia and neighbouring Ukraine heated up over the weekend after the Kremlin's armed forces launched the largest aerial attack since the 2022 invasion.
It's believed that 13 civilians were killed in the attacks, with a further 56 injured after the barrage of missiles and drone attacks (via the BBC).
The attack was met with fierce condemnation from Kyiv and its allies, with US President Donald Trump even branding Putin as 'absolutely crazy'.
Advert
"He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I'm not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever," he wrote on Truth Social.
However, the Kremlin has now hit back with unverified claims that Putin narrowly missed an attempt on his life last week.
According to one senior commander in the Russian Army, Ukraine had launched a barrage of missiles and drones towards Russia. However, the majority of them were reportedly shot down by air-defence systems.
"We were simultaneously engaged in an air defence battle and ensuring airspace security for the president's helicopter flight," said Yury Dashkin, commander of an air defence division (via The Kyiv Independent).
"The helicopter was effectively at the epicentre of the response to the massive drone attack."
Dashkin's claims have not been independently verified, with President Trump revealing he was unaware of the reports.
"I haven't heard that. I don't know, but I have not heard that," he told reporters over the weekend (via The Mirror).
Russian officials haven't provided any further evidence of the alleged attack against the presidential helicopter; however, Putin had visited the Kursk region last week (per AFP).
The trip was confirmed by the Kremlin and marked the first visit since Russian forces had recaptured the province from the Ukrainian army.
Meanwhile, it has also been reported that a Russian passenger jet was also caught up in the drone exchange between the two nations over the weekend.
According to a report from MailOnline, Kremlin air defences fired at, but missed, an Airbus A320-251N flying to Moscow from the Turkish coastal city of Bodrum.
The exchange in fire also saw Ukraine's neighbour - and NATO member - Poland scramble its own fighter jets as a defensive manoeuvre.
Moscow has continued with its aerial attacks against Ukraine, reportedly firing 355 drones against the country yesterday (via Washington Post).
Topics: Russia, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, World News
Brenna Cooper