Russian CEO behind Shahed drone supplies found dead in Moscow region

The body of the CEO, Alexander Tyunin, was discovered on the roadside in a village near Moscow. A shotgun and a note were found next to him.

"I did this myself. I have been fighting depression for five years. It keeps getting worse. I have no strength left," the entrepreneur wrote in the note.

The Telegram channel "To Be or" notes that this is the 35th mysterious death of Russian top officials and executives since 2022. The most commonly reported cause in these cases is "suicide."

The last similar incident involved the former governor of Russia's Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, who shot himself in his car. He had been accused of failing to defend the region during the Ukrainian Armed Forces' offensive.

What is known about Umatex and drone production

The Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi reports that JSC Khimprom Engineering, better known as Umatex Group, is the only carbon fiber manufacturer in Russia. Its subsidiary, Alabuga-Fibre, located in the namesake economic zone, supplies materials for the production of strike drones.

"Carbon fiber is a key element in the production of fuselages for long-range drones, providing high strength at extremely low weight," the report states.

The Umatex-owned Alabuga-Fiber plant produces raw materials and sits opposite the main site, where fuselages are glued and drones assembled.

Nearby, another facility, Tatneft Alabuga fiberglass, produces fiberglass fabrics for the composite bodies of Shahed drones.

According to open data, Umatex's enterprises supply about 95% of Russia’s carbon fiber, totaling 1,400–2,000 tons per year. However, with the expansion of strike drone production, this figure may have grown significantly in recent years.

Notably, on May 9, 2022, Alexander Subbotin, a former top manager at the oil company Lukoil, was found dead in Russia. Reports say his death followed a session with a shaman.