Surovikin, whose reputation for acting brutally earned him the nickname of "General Armageddon" had largely disappeared from public view following a failed June 2023 mutiny and march on Moscow by Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, with whom he was closely associated.

Russian President Putin had visited Kursk earlier in the week. It was his first trip to the region since March.

We were simultaneously engaged in an air defense battle and ensuring airspace security for the president’s helicopter flight. The helicopter was effectively at the epicenter of the response to the massive drone attack” Yury Dashkin said.

During a visit by the President of the Russian Federation to the Kursk region, his helicopter actually hit the epicenter of a massive attack by Ukrainian drones. This was announced today, May 25, by the commander of the air defense division Yuri Dashkin on the Russia 24 TV channel.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the military command to plan Ukraine's response to Russian attacks, he announced this during his evening address. According to him, today’s meeting included Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi,

The russian military command is regrouping forces and is likely preparing an offensive in northern Ukraine, particularly in the Sumy Region. This is stated in