Director of Russian Drone Factory Injured in Car Explosion

News reports on Wednesday detailed an incident involving the director of a drone factory supplying the Russian military. The factory director suffered severe injuries when his car exploded. This marks the second attack on Russian drone manufacturers within a week.

According to state agencies Tass and RIA Novosti, Vladimir Tkachuk was hospitalized in critical condition after the explosion on Tuesday night in Bolshoy Istok. This location is near Yekaterinburg, about 870 miles from Moscow. The explosion resulted in the death of the car driver, as reported by Reuters.

Images circulating on Russian social media showed Tkachuk’s Mercedes, severely damaged and surrounded by charred debris. Tass and RIA Novosti have not provided details on how the explosion occurred or who might be responsible. Authorities have not yet commented on the situation.

Background on Vladimir Tkachuk

Tkachuk led the Uraldronzavod factory, which produces ‘Upyr’ drones. These drones, named after the Russian word for ‘Ghoul’, are recognized by troops for their efficiency against jamming. Tkachuk, a small entrepreneur, established a team of engineers to develop and produce the Upyr drones near Yekaterinburg. He founded the firm in 2023 and was notably featured presenting the drones to President Vladimir Putin.

In a related event, a week earlier, another Russian drone manufacturer’s director suffered injuries in a shooting incident labeled an ‘attempted murder’ by prosecutors. Ukraine has not commented on this recent car explosion.

Contextual Updates

The car explosion incident was reported following a video shared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, purportedly showing a Russian drone attacking a civilian in Kherson. Zelenskyy called the world’s attention to the video, alleging Russian soldiers’ cruelty towards civilians.

Russian authorities have attributed several attacks, including bombings against senior military officials, to Kyiv. These attacks have occurred since Moscow’s incursion into Ukraine in February 2022.

One such attack took place on Saturday, involving a deadly bombing at a high-end Moscow restaurant. The Russian Embassy in Rome accused Ukraine of orchestrating this as an act to intimidate the Italian community in Russia. The bombing at the Balzi Rossi restaurant resulted in five deaths and 19 injuries. Russian authorities, including the Foreign Ministry, have not commented directly, and security agencies haven’t identified suspects. Some media outlets speculated the target was a Russian general, Col.-Gen. Alexander Chaiko, though these claims remain unverified.