CNN: Planned Russian assassination attempt on Rheinmetall boss foiled

The Russian government planned an assassination attempt on the head of the arms company that supplies weapons and military vehicles to Ukraine at the beginning of the year, CNN reported on Thursday. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to the Russian threat in this context.

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“I will not say anything about this in detail,” said Scholz at the NATO summit in Washington. “But at the same time I would like to tell you that we already know very well that we are exposed to threats from Russian activities in many different ways.”

“Hybrid war of aggression”

On the sidelines of the NATO summit, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said of the CNN report that this was “what we have actually communicated more and more clearly in recent months: Russia is waging a hybrid war of aggression.” Russian President Vladimir Putin is using sabotage and cyber attacks for his war of aggression against Ukraine. But there have also been attacks on people on European territory and attacks on factories. “And that underlines once again that we as Europeans must protect ourselves as best we can and not be naive.”

The communications director of the US National Security Council, John Kirby, told Welt TV that he could not comment on intelligence matters. He pointed out, however, that Putin held western arms companies partly responsible for the course of the war in Ukraine – even though the Kremlin chief himself could “end it tomorrow”.

Berlin was warned by the USA

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 CNN report, the uncovered plan was part of a planned series of assassination attempts on executives of defense companies across Europe who are supporting the Ukrainian defensive war against Russia with their weapons. Rheinmetall declined to comment on the report. The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the German Interior Ministry also declined to comment.

However, the German government is taking the threats from the Russian regime very seriously, said a ministry spokesman. “Our security authorities are very vigilant and are acting accordingly, in close cooperation with our international partners.” The German government will not allow itself to be intimidated by the Russian threats. “We will continue to do everything we can to prevent possible threats in Germany.”

Possible acts of sabotage prevented

The Russian threats were primarily aimed at undermining the support of Germany and its partners for Ukraine in its defensive struggle against the Russian war of aggression. “The Russian regime uses threats such as cyber attacks, disinformation, espionage and sabotage,” he said. In April, for example, German counterintelligence prevented possible acts of sabotage aimed at military support for Ukraine. The so-called Tiergarten murder in Berlin in 2019, which was demonstrably commissioned by Russian state authorities, also demonstrated the danger posed by state terrorism.

Rheinmetall is one of the largest European suppliers of tank technology and artillery shells for Ukraine and, according to its own statements, the largest manufacturer of artillery ammunition in the western world. In June, Rheinmetall opened a repair workshop for infantry fighting vehicles in western Ukraine. The production of new tanks is also planned. In June, Papperger announced that he wanted to expand cooperation with Ukraine and supply Lynx infantry fighting vehicles. Rheinmetall supplies Ukraine with weapons and ammunition. Papperger has repeatedly stressed that it is important to Rheinmetall to support Ukraine in its critical situation.

Group sales grow by 40 percent

By 2026, the Dax-listed company wants to increase its annual production of artillery shells to 1.1 million rounds, Papperger told the “FAZ”. Before the Russian war against Ukraine, it was 70,000. Papperger confirmed that the group’s sales will grow by 40 percent this year.

A spokesman for the company did not want to comment on the CNN report. The company does not comment on questions of company security. “The necessary measures are always taken in regular coordination with the security authorities,” he simply said. In April, unknown persons carried out an arson attack on a garden shed on Papperger’s property in Lower Saxony. Investigations are ongoing, and it is also being examined whether a letter of confession from left-wing extremists is authentic.