A claim that President Vladimir Putin 's helicopter faced a combat incident during his visit to the Kursk region was concocted by Russia's authorities, it has been reported. Russia's Defense Ministry said that during Putin's trip to the border region where Kyiv previously staged an incursion, his aircraft came under fire from Ukrainian drones.

A claim by the Russian Defence Ministry that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin was "in the epicentre of a drone attack" has turned out to be a staged performance by the Kremlin. Source: The Moscow Times,

The report, quoting Yuri Dashkin, Commander of the Air Defence division in Kursk Oblast, said that the Ukrainian military launched an unprecedented attack at the aircraft, with Putin onboard.