The revelation that Russia was willing to resort to assassinations of private individuals underscored the extent of Moscow’s commitment to a covert shadow war across the West.
In a startling revelation, US intelligence services have successfully foiled a Russian plot aimed at assassinating the chief executive of Germany’s top arms manufacturer, Rheinmetall. The scheme was believed to be a retaliatory move by Russia due to the company’s significant role in supplying armaments to Ukraine. This disturbing incident sheds light on the escalating tensions surrounding Ukraine’s war efforts. The plot targeting Armin Papperger, the CEO of Rheinmetall, was just one of several schemes orchestrated by the Russian government to eliminate defense industry executives across Europe who have been aiding Ukraine. According to reports, the plan to kill Papperger was the most advanced among the various plots identified by US and western officials.
Upon uncovering the imminent threat, US authorities promptly alerted their German counterparts, leading to heightened security measures around Papperger and the Rheinmetall facilities.
For over six months, Russia has been conducting a sophisticated sabotage campaign throughout Europe, primarily through proxy agents. This campaign has included everything from arson attacks on warehouses holding supplies destined for Ukraine to acts of vandalism aimed at eroding public support for Kyiv, as reported by CNN.
The revelation that Russia was willing to resort to assassinations of private individuals underscored the extent of Moscow’s commitment to a covert shadow war across the West. According to CNN, Armin Papperger emerged as a prime target due to Rheinmetall’s pivotal role as Germany’s leading manufacturer of 155mm artillery shells, crucial in Ukraine’s protracted conflict. Moreover, Rheinmetall is set to inaugurate an armored vehicle plant inside Ukraine in the coming weeks, a move deeply unsettling to Russian interests.
Despite initial gains, Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine have recently stalled amid resilient Ukrainian defences and significant personnel losses.These previously undisclosed assassination plots shed light on NATO’s increasingly urgent warnings about the gravity of Russia’s sabotage campaign. Some senior NATO officials are concerned that these activities could escalate into armed conflict in Eastern Europe, the report said.
“We’re seeing sabotage, we’re seeing assassination plots, we’re seeing arson. We’re seeing things that have a cost in human lives,” said a senior NATO official during a press briefing. “I believe very much that we’re seeing a campaign of covert sabotage activities from Russia that have strategic consequences. “The National Security Council (NSC) declined to comment on the specifics of the Russian plot and the US-German cooperation that foiled it. However, NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson acknowledged, “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.”
“The United States has been discussing this issue with our NATO Allies, and we are actively working together to expose and disrupt these activities,” she said. “We have also been clear that Russia’s actions will not deter Allies from continuing to support Ukraine.”The German Embassy in Washington refrained from making any statements regarding the incident, while CNN sought a response from the Russian embassy in Washington, which remained unavailable for comment.
A spokesperson for Rheinmetall, Oliver Hoffman, declined to discuss the specifics but assured, “Security measures are always taken in consultation with law enforcement authorities.”Russia’s sabotage campaign has dominated discussions among NATO officials gathered in Washington for the alliance’s 75th-anniversary summit. NATO has intensified efforts to enhance intelligence sharing among member states to better connect the dots between seemingly isolated criminal activities within their respective countries.
(With inputs from ANI)