Kremlin Dismisses Reports of Assassination Plot Against German Arms Maker

The Kremlin on Friday dismissed a report that Russia was plotting to assassinate the chief executive of a major German arms maker supplying weaponry to Ukraine.

Citing five unidentified US and Western officials, CNN reported Thursday that the United States informed Germany that the Russian government had a plan to kill Armin Papperger, the head of Rheinmetall.

Asked about the report on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed it as appearing to be “fake” and said it could not be taken “seriously.”

“It is very difficult for us to comment on reports from various media outlets that do not contain any serious arguments and are based on anonymous sources,” Peskov told reporters in a briefing call.

“It's all presented in the style of another fake story, therefore such reports cannot be taken seriously,” he added.

Western intelligence agencies had identified several suspects linked to the plan against Papperger, according to German weekly Spiegel.

The suspects came from countries of the former Soviet Union, including at least one Russian, Spiegel reported. 

The men were believed to have traveled to the vicinity of the Dusseldorf headquarters of the company as well as Papperger's travel destinations abroad, according to the magazine.

Security services believed the suspects were “proxies” for Russian intelligence, but the evidence against them was insufficient to make an arrest, according to Spiegel.

The German government refused to comment directly on the CNN report but underlined its condemnation of what it terms Russia's “hybrid war of aggression.”

“We will not be intimidated by Russia and will continue to do everything to prevent Russian threats in Germany,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on X, formerly Twitter. 

Rheinmetall spokesman Oliver Hoffmann said Thursday the company was “unable to comment on issues relating to corporate security.” 

In February, Rheinmetall announced an agreement with a Ukrainian company to manufacture artillery shells in Ukraine.

The company has also said it plans to set up at least four factories in Ukraine for producing shells, military vehicles, gunpowder and anti-aircraft weapons.