The Kremlin allegedly staged a fake drone attack on President Vladimir Putin’s helicopter to portray him as a wartime hero, according to multiple Russian sources—raising fresh questions about the regime’s desperation and propaganda tactics.
At a Glance
- Russian media claimed Putin’s helicopter was targeted by Ukrainian drones in May 2024
- Four Kremlin sources told The Moscow Times the entire event was staged
- Ukraine officially denied any involvement in the so-called attack
- Experts say the incident aimed to boost Putin’s strongman image amid domestic criticism
- If real, the “attack” would reflect a shocking failure of Russian air defense
Staging Heroism: The Kremlin’s Scripted Crisis
In a surreal twist even for Russian politics, the Kremlin allegedly manufactured a near-assassination scenario involving President Vladimir Putin’s helicopter during a May visit to Kursk Oblast. Russian state media breathlessly claimed that Putin’s aircraft was caught in a swarm of enemy drones but emerged unscathed.
But according to The Moscow Times, four anonymous government insiders revealed the incident never occurred—it was a propaganda fabrication designed to reinforce Putin’s image as a wartime leader “sharing the risks” with Russian soldiers.
Watch a report: Putin’s helicopter ‘attack’ revealed as Kremlin fabrication.
No Evidence, No Damage—But Lots of Spin
Notably, the state’s narrative included dramatic quotes from Russian Air Division Commander Yuri Dashkin, who claimed, “The president’s helicopter was actually in the epicenter of repelling a massive attack by enemy drones.” Yet, there were no videos, photos, or radar evidence to support the claim, and no physical damage or casualties were reported.
Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications denied any involvement, calling the report baseless. Military analysts added that if such an incident had occurred, it would signify a catastrophic failure of Russia’s elite security units, including multiple air-defense layers surrounding any Putin movement.
Desperation Behind the Curtain
The fake attack appears to be a calculated response to declining confidence in Putin’s leadership. Facing economic strain, a prolonged war in Ukraine, and a historic Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast just weeks later, the Kremlin may have staged the drone threat to reframe Putin as bold and battle-tested.
One Russian official reportedly told Newsweek, “If all this really happened, then the president wasn’t just in danger from enemy drones. There was a real danger that his helicopter could have been shot down by Russian air defenses.” That grim irony highlights the risk of manufacturing military heroism in a real war zone.
The entire incident reveals how fragile Putin’s hold on domestic narrative control has become. When credibility slips, the regime doesn’t adjust course—it invents new mythologies. And in today’s Russia, that’s not a bug of the system. It is the system.
