The United States thwarted a Russian plot earlier this year to assassinate the CEO of a major German company providing weapons to Ukraine, CNN reported. The U.S. informed Germany of the Russian government's plan to kill Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, who has since received protection from German security agencies, according to the network, which cited five unnamed American and Western officials.
The assassination plot was one of several conspiracies uncovered by U.S. intelligence aimed at killing executives in European defense industries that support the war effort in Ukraine. According to CNN, the plan against Papperger was the "most sophisticated," with a senior German government official confirming that the U.S. had warned Germany about it.
Rheinmetall produces 155mm artillery shells and plans to begin manufacturing armored vehicles in Ukraine, as noted by CNN. The report coincided with a NATO summit in Washington marking the 75th anniversary of the defense alliance. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated, "In light of the recent reports about Rheinmetall, this is what we have been clearly stating in recent months." She added, "Russia is waging a hybrid aggressive war," and continued, "through sabotage, cyberattacks, and disabling the GPS system so that Baltic aircraft can no longer land in neighboring countries."
Baerbock emphasized, "We have seen attacks on individuals on European soil. We have seen attacks on factories." She asserted that this "reconfirms that we as Europeans must protect ourselves as best as we can and must not be naive."
A spokesman for the German Ministry of the Interior declined to comment directly on the Rheinmetall report but stated that “the German government takes the threats from the Russian regime seriously.” He added, “Our security authorities are very vigilant and are acting accordingly in close cooperation with our international partners," affirming, "We cannot comment on the specifics or concrete protection measures or intelligence outcomes."
Rheinmetall spokesman Oliver Hoffman stated that the company "cannot comment on issues related to the security of the company." He added, "Necessary measures are always taken in regular consultation with security authorities."
