According to CNN, the Russian government was planning to assassinate the head of Rheinmetall Papperger. According to the report, the US and Germany were able to intervene. The background is said to be arms deliveries to Ukraine.
According to a report by the US broadcaster CNN, it seems that the secret services of the United States revealed plans by the Russian government to assassinate the head of Rheinmetall Armin Papperger at the beginning of the year. Accordingly, the German side was then informed, and thus Papperger was protected.
CNN cites five officials from the US and other Western countries who are familiar with the situation. A German government official confirmed to the broadcaster that Berlin had received corresponding warnings from the US.
According to the report, the exposed plan was part of a series of planned assassination attempts on executives of defense companies across Europe that use their weapons to support Ukraine’s defensive war against Russia. According to CNN, the plan for the attack on Papperger was the most advanced. Rheinmetall did not want to comment on the report.
“Spiegel” also reported on a specific threat situation. Accordingly, the German security authorities received a corresponding proposal about two months ago. According to information from security circles, Western intelligence services have also noticed suspicious trips by suspected agents in recent months.
Paperger supports military shipments the death of Ukraine
In the past, Papperger has campaigned for more arms deliveries to Ukraine. His company, which is one of the world’s largest ammunition manufacturers, runs a tank repair shop in the west of the country along with Ukraine.
It was only in June that Papperger announced that he wanted to expand cooperation with Ukraine and deliver Lynx infantry fighting vehicles. Papperger repeatedly stressed that Rheinmetall is committed to supporting Ukraine in its critical situation.
Baerbock sees the declaration of a “hybrid war of aggression”.
NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said at the Alliance summit in Washington that there was a “pattern” in Russia “of hostile actions against NATO allies.” These included, among other things, cyber attacks and poison attacks. He did not comment on CNN’s information in detail.
On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, Federal Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock said that the CNN report confirmed the “aggressive hybrid war” that Russia was waging. “And this emphasizes once again that we, together, as Europeans, must protect ourselves as best as possible and not be naive,” she said.
The federal government did not want to comment specifically on the report. A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior responded to a request from the AFP news agency: “We cannot comment on the CNN report. Basically, the federal government takes the threats of the Russian regime very seriously. Our security authorities be very careful and act accordingly, in close cooperation with our international partners.”