Andrei Cherezov shot in Tula in attempted assassination
On the night of 28–29 July 2026, Andrei Cherezov – founder and director of Russian Air Transport Laboratory (RLVT) – was shot multiple times as he opened the door of his apartment in the city of Tula, about 150 km south of Moscow. He was taken to hospital in a critical but stable condition.
Russian prosecutors have opened a criminal case and are treating the incident as an attempted murder, while authorities continue to search for the unknown assailant. RLVT manufactures the “Ovod” combat drones that are deployed by the Russian army in Ukraine and is subject to sanctions by the EU, the United States and Ukraine. The company recently secured state contracts worth roughly 30 million ruble for drone kits and control systems.
The attack follows a series of assaults on Russian defence‑industry figures since the war in Ukraine began and has drawn attention to the vulnerability of senior technologists in Russia.
Entities: Andrei Cherezov · European Union · Ovod drone · Ovod drones · Russian Air Transport Laboratory (RLVT) · Russian Laboratory of Air Transport (RLVT) · Tula
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] RLVT secured state contracts worth about 30 million ruble for drone kits and control systems. (multiple)
- [● 8 SOURCES] The shooting occurred on the night of 28–29 July 2026. (multiple)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Russian authorities are searching for the shooter. (multiple)
- [● 4 SOURCES] RLVT manufactures the “Ovod” drones used by the Russian military in Ukraine. (multiple)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The attacker opened fire as Cherezov opened his apartment door. (multiple)
- [● 4 SOURCES] He was hospitalized in critical condition. (multiple)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The EU placed RLVT on its sanctions list because of its role in the war. (multiple)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Andrei Cherezov was shot multiple times. (multiple)