According to a Western government official, western intelligence agencies have discovered Russian plots to commit arson, assassinations and other forms of sabotage in Europe against companies and individuals supporting Ukraine’s military. One of the most serious was an attempt on the life of the head of a German weapons manufacturer.
Common criminals from other countries are sometimes hired for this, they added. The source is in position to know but cannot say anything because he has no authority and did not want his identity disclosed.
This person said that one recent major plot targeted Armin Papperger who is CEO of the defense company Rheinmetall.
The official refused to provide additional information about other plots that CNN reported first. The United States reportedly alerted Germany which managed to safeguard Papperger’s safety by aborting the plan.
Rheinmetall is a significant supplier of Ukraine with military technology and ammunition as it combats forces from Russia. Last month, the organization opened an armored vehicle maintenance section within Western Ukraine while also intending to begin producing inside this nation.
“The plot against Papperger we will not comment on,” Adrienne Watson said when asked about it. “But let me tell you something: Russia’s subversion campaign has been progressively increasing and we’ve been closely following that.”
“We have been discussing this with our allies at NATO,” she explained further, saying that “we are working together actively against these activities.” Additionally, we’ve been clear that Russia’s actions won’t deter our allies from continuing support for Ukraine.”
Neither Rheinmetall nor the German government would comment Friday on the reported plot against Papperger. Kall also pointed out that “we take significantly increased threat through Russian aggression very seriously.”
“Our security measures have increased considerably since 2022 until date with threats ranging between espionage and sabotage, cyber-attacks and even state terrorism” added Maximilian Kall in his statement for Interior Ministry spokespersons who revealed their inability to respond to “individual threat situations.”
“Putin’s regime seeks to destroy our support for Ukraine in its defence against the Russian war of aggression but the German government does not give in to pressure,” Kall said.
The Nato summit held this week in Washington saw European dignitaries speaking about a rising number of ‘hybrid’ attacks mainly by Russia and her allies.
These included what authorities described as suspicious fires at industrial and commercial premises recently recorded in Lithuania, Poland, UK, Germany among others, as well as charges that Belarus associated with Russia was sending numerous refugees from North Africa and Middle East to Poland’s borders plus Latvia other Nato countries.
At a news conference during the NATO summit on Thursday, Stoltenberg declined to comment on the CNN story when he was asked. He said though that Russian security services have been engaging in widespread campaigns ranging from sabotage to cyber-attacks and arson targeted at Nato Allies.
“These are just not isolated incidents; rather they form part of an ongoing Russian campaign.” The intention of this campaign is without doubt intimidation of NATO allies towards support for Ukraine,” added Stoltenberg.
Two German-Russian men were arrested by German investigators in April for suspicion of espionage, one of them alleged to have agreed to organize attacks on potential targets such as US military establishments so as to sabotage aid to Ukraine.
Since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine over two years ago, Germany has become the second largest supplier of arms to Ukraine after the United States.
“Such reports should not be taken seriously because they have been presented in a counterfeit manner,” said Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov about the plan to kill Papperger on Friday, while speaking with reporters.
It was announced at a press briefing by Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh on Friday that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov on Friday for their second time conversing in less than one 30-day period. According to Singh, this call was initiated by the defense minister from Russia.
While “it is very important right now” for there to be communication channels, she did not provide further details, including whether these leaders discussed allegations that Russia had tried killing politicians working for Western militaries producing weapons systems supplied into Ukraine.
