A new and dangerous front has opened in the Russia-Ukraine war, with attackers and suspected intelligence operatives increasingly targeting executives and engineers behind the drone technology now central to the fighting, industry experts warned. Rather than remaining confined to the battlefield, the conflict is spreading into assassination attempts, bombings and alleged espionage plots aimed at key figures in both countries' drone industries, reflecting how vital this technology has become to each side's war effort.

Among the incidents cited is a car bombing near Yekaterinburg on 4 August that critically injured Vladimir Tkachuk, head of Russian drone manufacturer Uraldronzavod, and reportedly killed another person. Experts say the pattern shows drone company founders and engineers on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides are now viewed as high-value targets, marking a shift in tactics as the war increasingly relies on unmanned systems.