Key points: Vladimir Tkachuk, director of Uraldronzavod, was critically wounded when his car exploded near Yekaterinburg; the vehicle's driver was killed. Uraldronzavod makes the Upyr ("Ghoul") FPV drone, and Tkachuk founded the firm in 2023. This is the second reported attack on Russian drone makers within a week amid heightened tensions and allegations linked to the war in Ukraine. Authorities have not yet identified suspects or released full details.
Director Of Russian Drone Factory Severely Wounded After Car Explosion Near Yekaterinburg
Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, speaks with Vladimir Tkachuk, front, the head of the Uraldronzavod, during his visit to the Special Technology Centre in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. / Credit: Valeriy Sharifulin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File
The director of a company that supplies drones to the Russian military was critically injured when his car exploded late Tuesday in a settlement just outside Yekaterinburg, Russian state media and news agencies reported. The vehicle's driver was killed in the blast.
Who was affected
State news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti identified the injured man as Vladimir Tkachuk, head of Uraldronzavod. Reuters reported that the driver died and that Tkachuk was hospitalized in grave condition following the explosion in Bolshoy Istok, roughly 870 miles east of Moscow.
What is known so far
Photos circulated on Russian social media showed a burned-out chassis described as Tkachuk's Mercedes amid charred debris. Tass and RIA Novosti provided no immediate details about the cause of the blast or any suspects, and local authorities had not issued an immediate public comment.
About the company and the drone
Uraldronzavod manufactures the Upyr ("Ghoul") drone, a low-cost, first-person-view (FPV) system that Russian troops have praised for its relative resilience to jamming. Tkachuk — a small-scale entrepreneur who founded the firm in 2023 and assembled a team of engineers to produce the Upyr near Yekaterinburg — has previously been photographed demonstrating the drones to President Vladimir Putin.
Context and related incidents
This incident is reported to be the second attack on individuals linked to Russian drone makers within a week. Last week, the founder and director of another Russian drone company was injured in a shooting prosecutors described as an "attempted murder." Russian authorities have blamed Kyiv for a series of bombings and attacks on senior military figures since the 2022 invasion; Kyiv made no immediate comment on this latest explosion.
Wider tensions
The car blast came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared video he said showed a civilian being chased and attacked by a Russian drone in Kherson. Separately, a deadly bombing at an upscale Moscow restaurant that killed five and injured 19 prompted accusations and claims in Russian media about possible targets, including an unverified report that a senior general was present; those claims have not been independently confirmed.
What remains unclear
Investigators have not publicly released evidence about the cause of the explosion or identified suspects. Media images and official statements remain the main sources of information, and several details are still unverified.
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