**Russian Defense Industry Executive Survives Hammer Attack in Targeted Assault**
In a disturbing incident, Andrey Kondratyev, the director of Russia’s key weapons manufacturer Kurganpribor, was brutally attacked outside his residence. The attack, which occurred on May 22nd, left Kondratyev hospitalized with severe head injuries.
According to reports from Russian media outlets Ura.ru and Mash, a person wielding a hammer struck Kondratyev multiple times in the entryway of his residential building shortly after 7 pm. Eyewitnesses claim that the assailant fled the scene immediately after the attack.
Emergency responders were quick to arrive at the scene, which may have saved Kondratyev’s life, according to sources within Russia’s industrial sector. A manhunt is reportedly underway for the attacker, with no immediate indications of Ukrainian involvement in the assault.
**Context: Ukraine Targets Russian Officials and Collaborators**
The attack on Kondratyev follows a pattern of successful strikes against Russian military officials and collaborators, particularly those involved in war crimes or collaborating with Russian forces in occupied territories. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and Defense Ministry’s HUR have been actively targeting key figures, including assassinations of high-ranking officers and influential defense industry executives.
These operations are often attributed to Ukrainian partisans or intelligence units, although Ukrainian authorities never officially claim responsibility for such incidents. In some cases, the attacks may be linked to internal Russian criminal networks rather than Ukrainian operations.
**Kondratyev’s Significance in Russia’s Defense Industry**
As the chief designer at Kurganpribor, a prominent Russian defense firm, Kondratyev plays a crucial role in manufacturing military products and aviation weapons. The company produces essential components for air-to-air missiles, guided bomb correction modules, and artillery fuzes, accounting for up to 60% of Russia’s domestic demand for the latter.
The attack on Kondratyev is likely motivated by his position as chief designer at a key defense firm, highlighting the ongoing efforts to target Russian military officials and collaborators involved in the conflict with Ukraine.
**Recent Attacks on Russian Military Figures**
This incident follows a series of high-profile attacks on Russian military figures, including:
* In April 2025, Yevgeny Rytikov, a top developer of Russian electronic warfare systems, died in a car explosion.
* In November 2024, missile fleet staff chief Valery Trankovsky was killed in a car bomb in occupied Sevastopol.
* In October 2024, bomber pilot Dmitry Golenkov was found dead in Bryansk Oblast with fatal head wounds, also believed to have been caused by a hammer.
These incidents demonstrate the ongoing efforts by Ukraine and its allies to disrupt Russian military capabilities and undermine their war effort.
