US and Germany prevented Russia from assassinating Rheinmetall CEO – media

The United States and Germany have disrupted a Russian plan to assassinate the CEO of Rheinmetall, a major arms manufacturer that supplies Ukraine.

Source: CNN, European Pravda reports

Details: US intelligence revealed earlier this year that the Russian government was planning to murder Armin Papperger, the CEO of a powerful German arms manufacturer. CNN reports this, citing five American and Western officials familiar with the case.

These sources said that the assassination attempt was one of a series of Russian plans to assassinate defence industry executives across Europe who support Ukraine's military efforts. The plan to assassinate Armin Papperger was the most elaborate.

When the Americans found out about it, they informed Germany, whose security services were able to protect Papperger and disrupt the Russians' plans. 

A senior German government official confirmed that Berlin had been warned by the United States about Russian plans.

Papperger was an obvious target: his company, Rheinmetall, is Germany's largest and most successful producer of vital 155mm artillery shells, which have become a key weapon in the Ukrainian war. 

The company is opening an armoured vehicle production plant in Ukraine in the coming weeks, which, according to one source familiar with the intelligence, is a cause for deep concern in Russia. 

The US National Security Council refused to comment on the existence of the Russian conspiracy and the German warning. But National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said: "Russia’s intensifying campaign of subversion is something that we are taking extremely seriously and have been intently focused on over the past few months".

Earlier, supporters of the left-wing extremist RAF movement said that on the night of 29 April they burned down the summer house of Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger, accusing him of "profiting" from arms sales.

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