In brief
German intelligence has linked a cache of firearms found near Berlin to a Russian assassination plot. The Interior Ministry confirms investigations into a Romanian suspect associated with espionage and violence. Authorities caution that foreign state operators may be behind the cache. The discovery fuels concerns over Russian intelligence planning targeted attacks on German officials and exiles.
German intelligence agencies have declared that the cache of firearms found in a wooded area outside Berlin last year was linked to planned assassinations on behalf of Russia.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said federal prosecutors are looking into a suspect in Romania alleged to have aided espionage and the planning of a “serious act of violence threatening the state.”
Although he denied confirming Russian involvement, Dobrindt said the authorities could not rule out foreign state actors.
Security firms warn the Russian intelligence service is preparing for targeted killings in German territory, possibly aimed at defense‑industry executives or opposition figures living in exile.
The police first discovered the weapons in October 2023 with Berlin State police, uncovering two handguns and ammunition intended for hostile use.
After rendering the arsenal inoperable, officials placed the site under surveillance for months but saw no approach by anyone.
Bearing a heavy‑weight threat level, the investigation also considers a Romanian suspect now held for alleged parcel‑bomb attacks and other operative detentions from Kazakhstan.
Earlier this year, questions arose after a CNN report uncovered a Russian plot to murder the chief of Rheinmetall, Germany’s largest arms manufacturer, prompting strong reactions from German officials.
A 2021 court case in Berlin jailed Russian national Vadim Krasikov for life, a murder said ordered by Moscow, the prosecutor said, though he eventually was released in a prisoner‑swap.
