Explosion Injures Russian Drone Factory Director

The director of a factory producing drones for the Russian military was seriously injured when his car exploded. This marks the second attack on Russian drone manufacturers within a week. Vladimir Tkachuk is now in critical condition after the incident in Bolshoy Istok near Yekaterinburg, approximately 870 miles east of Moscow, according to state agencies Tass and RIA Novosti. Unfortunately, the car’s driver did not survive the explosion, as reported by Reuters.

Russian social media channels shared images showing the charred remains of Tkachuk’s Mercedes amidst burnt debris. However, Tass and RIA Novosti did not provide details on the explosion or its possible perpetrators, and there was no immediate comment from authorities.

Tkachuk leads the Uraldronzavod factory, responsible for the production of Upyr drones, which offer protection against jamming. He founded the company in 2023, assembling a team to develop these first-person view drones. His products have been showcased to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last week, another drone manufacturer’s director was wounded in a shooting, labeled an ‘attempted murder’ by prosecutors.

The attack took place one day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video allegedly showing a civilian attacked by a Russian drone in Kherson. Zelenskyy urged the world to see what he claims is evidence of Russia’s violence against civilians.

Russian authorities suspect Kyiv in a series of attacks targeting senior military figures following Moscow’s actions in Ukraine since February 2022. The explosion happened after a deadly bombing in a Moscow restaurant, which a Russian Embassy in Rome statement linked to Ukraine as an effort to threaten the Italian community in Russia. This attack killed five and injured 19 on Saturday. The Russian Foreign Ministry shared the embassy’s statement but gave no further comments.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin labeled the bombing a ‘brutal terrorist act’ but did not identify any suspects. Some media reports suggest the bombing targeted Russian Gen. Alexander Chaiko, though these claims lack independent verification.