- A car bomb exploded beneath Vladimir Tkachuk’s Mercedes in Bolshoy Istok, killing his driver and seriously wounding him.
- The blast occurred on Tuesday, with reports emerging on Wednesday afternoon.
- Conditions reported as intensive care and stable by some sources, while others described him as in critical condition.
- A murder investigation was launched by authorities, with no immediate comment from Kyiv.
- On July 30, Andrei Cherezov, developer of the Gadfly drone, was shot and wounded.
- This appears to be the second attack on Russian drone makers in a week.
- Uraldronzavod is a Yekaterinburg-based drone maker.
- Vladimir Tkachuk founded Uraldronzavod in 2023.
- Upyr drone sanctions by the US and EU on the company.
- Povornutye Na Voyne is a pro-war Telegram channel run by Tkachuk.
- Vampire drones were demonstrated to Putin and Medvedev.
- Vampire drones are widely used by Russia on the front lines.
- Cherezov Gadfly incident occurred on July 30.
- Drone maker attacks are part of a broader pattern in the Ukraine war.
- Putin named a head to lead Russia's Unmanned Systems Forces after the bombing.
The head of a Yekaterinburg drone maker was wounded in a car bombing outside the city on Tuesday, with his Mercedes destroyed and his driver killed, police said. Vladimir Tkachuk, founder and CEO of Uraldronzavod, was injured near Bolshoy Istok as law enforcement opened a murder investigation, underscoring a wave of attacks against Russia's drone industry amid the Ukraine conflict. The company makes the Vampire drones used on Russia’s front lines and is under U.S. and EU sanctions for the Upyr drone. Tkachuk also runs a pro-war Telegram channel and has publicly demonstrated the Vampire drone to top officials, including Putin and Medvedev. The incident follows last week’s shooting of another Russian drone-maker chief, prosecutors describing it as an attempted murder. Mash, citing sources in police and security services, said the Mercedes was destroyed by an explosive device hidden underneath. The driver was killed on the spot; investigators have offered few public details as Kyiv offered no immediate comment on the latest incident. The broader context includes Russia’s blame on Ukraine for prior attacks and Kyiv’s selective claims of responsibility. The events occur as Putin named a head to lead Russia’s newly created Unmanned Systems Forces; drones have become central to the war’s dynamic, now midway through its fifth year.123451011151617192024
“He’s currently in intensive care and in stable condition,” the pro-war channel Povornutye Na Voyne stated.78918
“However, sources the state-run news agency TASS that Tkachuk was in critical condition and that doctors were ‘fighting for his life.’”
“It was the second attack in a week on Russian drone makers.”
“Tkachuk had demonstrated the Vampire to top officials including Putin and Medvedev.”
Additional context highlights the ongoing tension between sanctions, military procurement, and a wartime information environment that has made drone executives high-value targets.
“Tkachuk's company Uraldronzavod is under U.S. and EU sanctions for its Upyr drone used in Russia's war against Ukraine. He also ran a pro-war Telegram channel, and the blast occurred days after another drone developer was shot, highlighting a pattern of targeted attacks.”
The Moscow Times
