Key facts
- Andrey Cherezov, head of the Russian Laboratory of Air Transport, was the target of an assassination attempt.
- The attack occurred in the entrance of his apartment building in Tula.
- An assailant fired three shots before fleeing the scene; the attacker is at large.
- Cherezov was hospitalized in serious condition.
- Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on suspicion of attempted murder.
Andrey Cherezov, the head of the Russian Laboratory of Air Transport, a Tula-based manufacturer of first-person view (FPV) drones used by Russian forces in the war against Ukraine, was the target of an assassination attempt. The attack occurred in the entrance of his apartment building, where an assailant fired three shots before fleeing. Cherezov was hospitalized in serious condition, and the attacker remains at large. Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on suspicion of attempted murder. The Russian Laboratory of Air Transport, founded by Cherezov, recently secured contracts worth a combined 29.7 million rubles ($376,000) to supply drone kits and control systems to Voronezh State Technical University for research. Russia is significantly increasing its investment in drone technology, with plans to produce millions of FPV drones and warheads in 2026. FPV drones have become a transformative weapon in the conflict, allowing for precise strikes and increasing the danger on the battlefield.