Key facts
- Vladimir Tkachuk, founder of drone manufacturer Uraldronzavod, was critically injured in a car bomb.
Vladimir Tkachuk, founder of Uraldronzavod, a key Russian drone manufacturer, was critically injured in a car bomb explosion near Ekaterinburg. His bodyguard was killed in the attack, which appears to be the latest in a series of assassinations targeting figures linked to Russia's war in Ukraine.
The attack highlights Ukraine's ability to conduct clandestine operations deep within Russian territory, targeting key figures involved in the war effort, and raises questions about Russia's internal security capabilities.
The founder of a Russian drone manufacturer, Vladimir Tkachuk, was critically injured in a car bomb attack near Ekaterinburg on Wednesday. His bodyguard was killed in the explosion, which Russian state media cited emergency services as reporting. Images circulating on social media depicted the charred remains of a Mercedes and bloodstains on the pavement.
Uraldronzavod, Tkachuk's company, is known for producing the Upyr (Ghoul) FPV kamikaze drone, manufactured using 3D-printing technology and widely employed by Russian forces in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin visited the factory in 2024, and both the company and Tkachuk have faced sanctions from Western governments for their support of Russia's war efforts.
Tkachuk also founded the pro-war Telegram channel Obsessed with War, which boasts over 500,000 followers and has been instrumental in fundraising and procuring military equipment for Russian soldiers. This incident follows a deadly explosion outside a Moscow restaurant days earlier that killed five people, which Russian authorities have not officially attributed but which independent media and pro-Kremlin bloggers suggested was aimed at Col Gen Aleksandr Chayko, commander of Russia’s aerospace forces. Chayko's son-in-law, Daniil Peredrya, was among those killed in the Moscow blast.
Ukrainian intelligence services have been implicated in targeting senior Russian military officers and officials accused of war crimes since the full-scale invasion began. The tactics employed have included remotely detonated explosive devices planted under vehicles. This latest assassination attempt underscores Ukraine's capacity for clandestine operations within Russian territory and is expected to increase scrutiny of Russia's internal security.