Russian drone chief injured in car bomb near Yekaterinburg

The head of a Russian military drone manufacturing company was seriously wounded and his driver killed when an explosive device detonated under their car near Yekaterinburg on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Vladimir Tkachuk, founder and general director of Uraldronzavod, was hospitalized in intensive care following the late-evening blast in the settlement of Bolshoy Istok, approximately 25 kilometers from the city.

Russian state media reported that Tkachuk was in grave condition immediately after the attack, but a subsequent message posted on his personal Telegram channel, "Obsessed with War," stated he was in stable condition and receiving emergency care. A local official later said Tkachuk had regained consciousness and his life was no longer in danger. The driver, who was also described as a bodyguard, died at the scene. Authorities have opened a criminal investigation into attempted murder.

Tkachuk's company, Uraldronzavod, manufactures the Upyr, also known as the "Ghoul" or "Vampire," a low-cost, first-person-view kamikaze drone widely used by Russian forces in the war against Ukraine. The drone is noted for its resistance to jamming. Founded in Yekaterinburg in 2023, the company...