Vladimir Putin Has Survived 6 Assassination Attempts: Here Are The Details

The Kremlin said on Wednesday it shot down two drones launched by Ukraine and accused Kyiv of attempting to kill Russian President Vladimir Putin. The alleged thwarted operation comes on the heels of a series of incidents - including trains sabotage - ahead of the popular World War II victory celebrations.

This is the latest attempt on the life of the Russian President, who the Kremlin says has survived five such attempts before this.

In May 2022, Major General Kyrylo Budanov, chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said that an unsuccessful attempt was made on the life of the Russian President. The attack took place in Caucasus - a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea - shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. General Budanov spoke about the incident to Ukrainska Pravda.

In 2012, Russian and Ukrainian security services foiled a plot to assassinate Mr Putin ahead of the presidential election, the BBC reported citing officials in Ukraine's counter-intelligence agency. Two men were arrested in connection with the incident - one of them in Black Sea port of Odesa - said the outlet. The second man, who was on the international wanted list, was arrested a month later.

In 2003, British anti-terror police thwarted a plot to kill Mr Putin during his visit in October, as per a report in The Sunday Times. Two men were arrested in connection with the alleged plot. One of them, who the outlet said was a former Russian secret service hitman, had planned to shoot Mr Putin as sniper.

During Mr Putin's state visit to Azerbaijan in 2002, an Iraqi man was arrested after apparently plotting to kill him. A report in news.com.au said that the attempt was due to take place in January 2002 by the man with links to Afghanistan and Chechen rebel forces. But the Iraqi man was arrested before he could carry out the attack and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Later that year, Russian officials learned about a plot to kill Mr Putin by targeting his car. The Russian leader was supposed to be driving along a motorway near the Kremlin. local media reported that officials discovered a seized 40kg of explosives, which the attackers had planted to blow up the road. The devices then mysteriously disappeared and Mr Putin's car was rerouted.