The attacks include an Aug. 4 car bombing near Yekaterinburg that critically injured Vladimir Tkachuk, head of Russian drone manufacturer Uraldronzavod, and killed his driver, according to Russian state news agency TASS, The Associated Press<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n His company produces the “Upyr,” or “Ghoul,” a first-person-view attack drone used by Russian forces in Ukraine.<\/p>\n ‘A NEW KIND OF WAR’: INSIDE UKRAINE’S HIDDEN FACTORIES MASS-PRODUCING COMBAT DRONES<\/a><\/p>\n A car bombing near Yekaterinburg that critically injured Vladimir Tkachuk, head of Russian drone manufacturer Uraldronzavod, and killed his driver. (Valeriy Sharifulin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)<\/p>\n Days earlier, Andrei Cherezov, head of another Russian drone company, was shot three times in Tula overnight July 28-29 in an apparent assassination attempt<\/a>, according to Ukrainian outlet Pravda<\/a>. Authorities have not publicly attributed either attack to Ukraine.<\/p>\n Draganfly<\/a> CEO Cameron Chell told Fox News Digital that the rise in attacks comes as Russia and Ukraine race for an edge in drone warfare<\/a>, making the relatively small number of people responsible for developing new technology increasingly important targets.<\/p>\n “When you can’t take out all the distributed infrastructure, drone manufacturing leadership becomes the primary target,” Chell said.<\/p>\n “These strikes in Russia and Ukraine and Germany on founders, leaders, engineers of defense and, in particular, drone-type companies are down to drones and these companies having such an impact themselves.”<\/p>\n UKRAINE\u2019S BATTLEFIELD IS TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF NATO<\/a><\/p>\n Anti-drone laser system trialed on a Stryker combat military vehicle with a machine gun aimed at the sky in Ukraine during a counteroffensive. (Michelle Ursi\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n “Because drone technology evolves rapidly \u2014 often with significant iterations occurring every 10 to 30 days \u2014 targeting a key engineer, founder, or product lead creates immediate operational disruptions on the battlefield.”<\/p>\n “Taking out a particular engineer or taking out a particular leader can set a very important weapons program back quite some time and disrupt shipments to the front line,” Chell added.<\/p>\n German authorities have also arrested two suspected operatives accused of spying on a Bavarian drone manufacturer for Russian intelligence<\/a>, while reports this month said the alleged operation included preparations to target company executive Stefan Thumann, according to Germany\u2019s Die Zeit<\/a>.<\/p>\n The case follows a reported 2024 plot disrupted by U.S. and German intelligence<\/a> to target Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger<\/a>.<\/p>\n ZELENSKYY ANNOUNCES ‘THE FUTURE IS HERE’ AFTER WAR’S FIRST ALL-ROBOT CAPTURE<\/a><\/p>\n Drone components and battlefield systems assembled at a Ukrainian manufacturing facility in an undisclosed location in western Ukraine. (Efrat Lachter\/Fox News Digital)<\/p>\n Chell said as Ukraine and Russia push toward artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons systems, engineers developing those technologies are more strategically important.<\/p>\n “What we see in the Ukraine-Russia conflict is nobody in the loop \u2014 total autonomy is the direction things are going because it moves with more speed and precision,” Chell said.<\/p>\n “AI and total autonomy<\/a> are the big innovations for the next 18 months, so a potential reason we could see more targeted activity against leaders is because Ukrainians have that technology advantage.”<\/p>\n “Targeting small drone companies is a relatively easy operation compared to targeting individuals in state-run weapons programs,” he said.<\/p>\n “It is a fairly inexpensive, low-risk tactic for intelligence agencies that yields an immediate impact on the battlefield, and that’s why we’ve seen this tactic.”<\/p>\n “It is a very interesting turn or tactic that’s being played by both sides here.”<\/p>\n Chell highlighted how Russia and Ukraine approach such plots differently.<\/p>\n “I wouldn’t suggest one side has an advantage over the other in terms of tactics, but psychologically, it has a deeper effect on the Russian side,” Chell said.<\/p>\n UKRAINE UNLEASHES MORE THAN 400 DRONES NEAR MOSCOW IN ONE OF WAR’S BIGGEST ATTACKS<\/a><\/p>\n “The volume of drone advantage will remain with the Russians for the foreseeable future, but the innovation of drones, tactics, and technology lies with the Ukrainians right now.”<\/p>\n “Ukraine faces an existential threat, so they are ready for anything. Their tactics tend to be much more blunt \u2014 a direct shooter in a hallway or a car bomb,” he added.<\/p>\n “The Russian tactics tend to be much more state-organized, using old Cold War tactics<\/a>: low-level contacts, extensive intelligence and surveillance ahead of time, and inserting into other countries like Germany,” he said.<\/p>\n “The Russians have a long-standing, well-established intelligence infrastructure dating back to World War II and the Cold War.”<\/p>\n TRUMP IS PROVING THAT THE WAY TO BETTER OUR MILITARY IS TO SECURE OUR SUPPLY CHAINS<\/a><\/p>\n A soldier launches an RQ-35 Heidrun drone used for reconnaissance and artillery fire correction in the Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on Feb. 22, 2026. (Dmytro Smolienko\/Ukrinform\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/p>\n As the drone manufacturing industry takes greater precautions, Chell maintained that threats against companies and individuals in the defense supply chain are receiving increased scrutiny.<\/p>\n “We are very cognizant of it, and we’re in contact with the proper authorities to make sure we’re taking precautions on both a cyber and physical level<\/a> to ensure we’re at less risk,” he said.<\/p>\n “We certainly don’t take anything for granted.”<\/p>\n “There are training and programs in place to ensure executives have a level of safety, primarily around awareness, cybersecurity, and physical location protection,” Chell added before stating that the attacks and attempted assassinations have “heightened the conversation around it.”<\/p>\n![\"Vladimir](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/drone-founder-russia.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n![\"Ukrainian](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ukraine-rq-35-heidrun-drone-operator.jpg\")
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