Head of drone manufacturer critically injured in car bomb in Russia

The head of a leading Russian drone manufacturer has been critically injured in a car bomb near Ekaterinburg, in what appears to be the latest in a series of assassination attempts targeting figures linked to the country’s Ukraine" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="16665" data-entity-type="event">War in Ukraine.Vladimir Tkachuk, the founder of the private drone manufacturer Uraldronzavod, was rushed to intensive care on Wednesday after a bomb planted beneath his Mercedes exploded, according to Russian state media, citing emergency services. His bodyguard was killed in the explosion.The Russian news agency Tass reported that Tkachuk was in a critical condition and doctors were “fighting [to save] his life”.Images circulating on social media showed the charred wreckage of a Mercedes, with blood stains visible on the pavement nearby.Uraldronzavod is one of several private drone manufacturers that sprang up in Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The company is best known for producing the Upyr (Ghoul), a low-cost first-person-view (FPV) kamikaze drone manufactured using 3D-printing technology at its facility in Ekaterinburg and widely used by Russian forces in Ukraine.In 2024, Vladimir Putin visited the factory, where he was given a tour by Tkachuk.Uraldronzavod and Tkachuk have been hit with sanctions by western governments for their role in supporting Russia’s war.Tkachuk is also the founder of the popular pro-war Telegram channel Obsessed with War, which has more than 500,000 followers and has been used to raise funds and procure military equipment for Russian soldiers fighting on the frontline.Russia is likely to blame Ukraine for the bombing, which comes just days after an explosion outside an upmarket restaurant in central Moscow that killed five people.Russian authorities have not identified the intended target of that attack, but pro-Kremlin bloggers and independent Russian media suggested it was aimed at Col Gen Aleksandr Chayko, the commander of Russia’s aerospace forces, who was reportedly celebrating his birthday at the restaurant.Among those killed was Chayko’s son-in-law Daniil Peredrya, the independent outlet Agentstvo reported on Wednesday, citing government records.Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s intelligence agencies have targeted dozens of senior Russian military officers and Russia-installed officials, accusing them of involvement in war crimes.Ukrainian intelligence services have previously employed a range of tactics in operations inside Russia, including planting explosive devices beneath vehicles that can be detonated remotely.The latest assassination attempt demonstrates Ukraine’s ability to continue its clandestine operations deep inside Russian territory, and is likely to intensify scrutiny of Russia’s internal security apparatus and its inability to protect senior officials and pro-war figures.