Russian drone factory chief wounded in car blast, TASS says

Vladimir Tkachuk, the chief executive of Russian drone maker Uraldronzavod, was seriously wounded in a car explosion, Russian state media reported Wednesday.

TASS quoted an emergency services source as saying Tkachuk was in intensive care in serious condition and that doctors were fighting for his life. Kommersant reported that his Mercedes exploded in Bolshoy Istok, a village outside Yekaterinburg.

The circumstances of the incident and when it happened were not immediately clear. Images published on Russian social media channels purported to show the burned-out chassis of Tkachuk's car surrounded by charred debris.

Uraldronzavod, based in Yekaterinburg, produces the “Upyr” family of first-person-view drones used by Russia on the battlefield in Ukraine. Tkachuk founded the company in 2023 and has been pictured showing its drones to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine made no immediate comment. Kyiv has targeted Russian defence and military figures since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Last week, the director and founder of a different Russian drone maker was wounded in a shooting that prosecutors described as attempted murder.