Car bomb wounds chief of Russian FPV drone factory near Yekaterinburg

Vladimir Tkachuk, the CEO of UralDronZavod, was severely injured in an assassination attempt, according to Yekaterinburg-based news outlet 66.ru. The incident occurred in the village of Bolshoy Istok, near Yekaterinburg, where Tkachuk's Mercedes was targeted. He is currently in serious condition and hospitalized. Russian state-controlled news agency TASS confirmed the assassination attempt and reported that Tkachuk is in intensive care with a life-threatening condition.

Emergency services sources stated that Tkachuk is fighting for his life. The Russian authorities have initiated a criminal investigation under the charge of "murder committed in a generally dangerous manner," a legal practice often employed when attacks pose a threat to bystanders. UralDronZavod, located in Russia's Sverdlovsk Region, manufactures Upyr drones, which are used in the conflict against Ukraine.

Tkachuk initiated the development of a military drone in 2020, and by 2023, UralDronZavod had reported a modest profit of 3.6 million rubles. The drone's frame is predominantly fabricated using 3D printers, with most components being Russian-made. By March 2024, the drone was 60% assembled from such parts. UralDronZavod was subsequently sanctioned by the European Union in December 2024.

This attack marks the second recent incident targeting a Russian drone manufacturer; on July 29, Andrei Cherezov, the developer of Ovod FPV drones, was also shot while entering a residential building in Tula.