Earlier this year, US intelligence revealed that the Russian government was planning to assassinate the chief executive of Rheinmetall, a German arms manufacturer that produces artillery shells and military vehicles for Ukraine, CNN quoted five US and Western officials as saying.
These sources suggested that the plot was one of a series of Russian plans to assassinate defence industry executives across Europe who are supporting the Ukrainian war effort.
According to CNN, the plan to kill Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger, who headed German production in support of Kiev, was “the most sophisticated”. When the Americans learned of the attempt, they informed Germany, and security forces foiled the plot by protecting Papperger. A senior German government official confirmed that Berlin had been warned of the plot by the United States.
CNN, which suggested that Papperger was an “obvious target”, recalls that Rheinmetall is the largest and most successful German manufacturer of 155mm artillery shells, which have become a major weapon in the Ukrainian war.
The company is due to open an armoured vehicle factory in Ukraine in the coming weeks, a move that a source familiar with the intelligence said was “deeply worrying” to Russia.
Russia ‘plotting’, NATO says
This series of previously undisclosed ‘plots’ explains why NATO officials are issuing increasingly dire warnings about the seriousness of the sabotage campaign. Some senior officials believe the campaign risks crossing the threshold of armed conflict in Eastern Europe.
A senior NATO official told reporters on Tuesday: “We are seeing sabotage, we are seeing assassinations, we are seeing arson. We are seeing things that are costing lives. I am very convinced that we are seeing a covert campaign of sabotage from Russia that has strategic implications,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
The US National Security Council (NSC) declined to comment on the existence of a “Russian conspiracy” and the US warning to Germany. But NSC spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement: “Russia’s intensifying subversive campaign is something we take very seriously and have been monitoring closely in recent months. The United States is discussing this with our NATO allies, and we are actively working together to detect and disrupt these activities”.
Germany warns of ‘hybrid war’
German officials also declined to comment on the specifics of the CNN report. Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington on Thursday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said it showed how Russia was waging a “hybrid war of aggression” against its European allies.
“We have seen attacks on factories. This underlines once again that we as Europeans must protect ourselves as best we can and not be naive,” the German minister said.
Rheinmetall spokesman Oliver Hoffman declined to comment, saying that “the necessary measures are always taken in regular consultation with the security authorities”.
It was not clear whether the information about Rheinmetall indicated that Russia intended to kill Papperger directly or hire a local proxy, CNN reported.
Security around Papperger increased
The United States is said to have informed the German authorities of the alleged assassination attempt and increased Mr Papperger’s protection as a result.
In response to a question from the German daily FAZ, the company said that “as a matter of principle, we cannot comment on company security matters”.
According to faz, Papperger has been living under increased scrutiny for some time. Since the attack on his summer home at the end of April, the defence chief has been accompanied by police officers at public appearances.
“When you meet the 61-year-old manager for an interview at the company’s headquarters, there are always police outside,” writes the FAZ.
