Russian drone CEO wounded in shooting: media

MOSCOW – The director and founder of a Russian drone manufacturer was wounded in a shooting early on July 29, in what prosecutors described as an “attempted murder”.

Andrei Cherezov, head of the Russian Air Transport Laboratory, was returning home from work at around 1am local time (6am, Singapore time) when he was attacked by an unknown assailant, Russia’s Izvestia newspaper reported.

The company is most famous for developing the “Ovod” family of combat drones that the Russian army uses in its war with Ukraine.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation into attempted murder. They did not release any information on Cherezov’s condition.

The shooting took place in the city of Tula, about 150 kilometres (around 90 miles) south of Moscow.

“The victim has been hospitalised,” the Tula branch of Russia’s Investigative Committee said on its website.

“Investigative actions are currently underway to identify the perpetrators and establish all the circumstances of the incident.”

Izvestia also reported that Cherezov’s wife had heard three shots but had not seen who opened fire on her husband.

Kyiv has targeted a range of Russian defence and military figures since Moscow sent troops into its neighbour in February 2022. Ukraine’s administration made no immediate comment on this latest attack. AFP