Berlin will not be cowed by Russian intimidation, says German Interior Minister
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The German government is “taking reports of a plot to assassinate the chief executive of arms manufacturer Rheinmetall very seriously and will not be cowed by Russian intimidation,” the country’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said, Reuters reported on July 12.
“We will continue to do everything we can to prevent Russian
threats,” she said following the July 11 CNN report of a Russian plot to kill Armin Papperger, CEO
of a company that produces artillery shells and military vehicles for Ukraine.
According to U.S. intelligence sources the assassination
plot was part of a larger series of Russian plans to target defense industry
executives across Europe who support Ukraine’s military efforts.
Although Rheinmetall did not directly confirm the report, it
mentioned that it “always takes necessary security measures”.
The Kremlin denied the reports, calling them “fakes based on
anonymous sources that cannot be taken seriously.”
German defense contractor Hensoldt, which produces radar
technology for the IRIS-T air defense system used in Ukraine, said it was
reviewing its security measures in response to the news.
Rheinmetall is a large German defense conglomerate that
produces ammunition and military equipment for Ukraine. In October 2023, the
group established a joint venture with the Ukrainian defense industry.
On June 20, the company announced that it had secured the largest order in its history — 155mm
artillery shells for the Bundeswehr, worth EUR 8.5 billion ($9.1 billion).
The contract is designed both to build up the Germany’s
ammunition stockpile and to help supply Berlin’s allies, including Ukraine,
starting from 2025.
In early June, Rheinmetall opened the first joint maintenance and production facility for
armored vehicles in Ukraine, with at least three more planned.
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