Russian President Vladimir Putin is increasingly avoiding trips to parts of European Russia where Ukrainian drones regularly reach, according to reporting. Since resuming domestic travel in June, he has largely selected destinations in Siberia and the Far East, with another stop expected in the Novosibirsk region next week.
The shift comes amid heightened incidents involving drones and air defenses in European Russia. One reported trigger is an August 3 episode in the Krasnodar region, where a Ukrainian drone—allegedly aimed at a defense contractor’s recreation facility—was reportedly intercepted and then fell on a crowded beach.
Nasha Niva and Kyiv Post both connect Putin’s changing itinerary to efforts to reduce exposure to areas affected by drone activity. While the outlets describe the same broad pattern—fewer visits to European regions and more to far eastern areas—the emphasis differs: one stresses Putin’s avoidance of European destinations generally, while the other cites a specific August 3 incident and the expected next stop in Novosibirsk.
