CNN: Russian plot to assassinate the head of the largest arms manufacturer in Germany
German politicians have expressed outrage after CNN published a detailed report on an alleged Russian plot to assassinate the head of German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, a company that played a key role in providing German military aid to Ukraine.
According to a CNN report published on Thursday, US intelligence revealed the Russian government’s plans to assassinate Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, earlier this year.
CNN, which based its report on “five US and Western officials with knowledge of the incident,” said German authorities had been notified of the plot, so Germany tightened Baberger’s security at the time.
According to the statements, Papperger, who publicly criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine following the start of the war on February, 2022, has been moving with a bodyguard for some time.
CNN reported that a German government official confirmed that Berlin had received the warning.
The head of the German Bundestag’s defense committee, Dr. Markus Faber, was among those who immediately reacted to the alleged plot.
Faber told German Bild newspaper, “This shows once again that Russia is also bringing its war and terror to Europe… The Putin regime is now also targeting the lives of German citizens”.
As for head of the German Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, Michael Roth, who told the same newspaper that Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging a war of extermination not only against Ukraine, but also against its supporters, and against our values.
Roth called for a German response that reflected the “rigor of a democratic constitutional state”.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, in remarks on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Washington, said that the Russia is waging a hybrid war of aggression, adding that individuals and companies have been attacked on European soil.
Rheinmetall is one of the largest European suppliers of armor and artillery technology to Ukraine.
According to its data, it’s the largest manufacturer of artillery munitions in the Western world.
On June, the company opened a repair facility for armored personnel carriers in western Ukraine and announced plans to produce new tanks.
According to CNN, the failed assassination attempt against Armin Papperger was part of a series of planned attacks targeting leaders of arms manufacturers across Europe that supply weapons to Ukraine.
