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Western intelligence agencies have uncovered Russian plots to carry out assassinations, arson and other sabotage in Europe against companies and people who support Ukraine's military, a Western government official said.
Russia has recruited common criminals in foreign countries to carry out the attacks, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Associated Press reports.
A major plot, which was later revealed, targeted Armin Papperger, the chief executive of Germany's defense company, Rheinmetall. He did not reveal details of the other plots.
CNN reported that the United States had tipped off Germany about the plot, which enabled security agencies to protect Papperger and thus thwart the plot against him.
Rheinmetall is a major supplier of military technology and artillery shells to Ukraine, which is struggling to repel Russian forces. This company last month opened a facility for the maintenance and repair of armored vehicles in western Ukraine and intends to start production within Ukraine.
US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson would not comment on the alleged plot to kill Papperger, but said Russia's actions could not affect allies' support for Ukraine.
"We have been clear that Russia's actions will not deter allies from continuing to support Ukraine," she said.
The German Interior Ministry cannot comment "in cases of individual threats", said the spokesman of this ministry, Maximilian Kall, but added that "we take the significantly increased threat of Russian aggression very seriously".
"We know that the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin wants, above all, to undermine our support for Ukraine, which is defending itself against the Russian war of aggression, but the German Government will not be intimidated," he said.
European officials, gathered at a NATO summit in Washington this week, spoke of dealing with escalating "hybrid" attacks, which they blame on Russia and its allies.
In April, German investigators arrested two Russian-Germans on suspicion of espionage, one of whom is accused of agreeing to carry out attacks on potential targets, including US military facilities, in hopes of sabotaging aid to Ukraine.
Germany has become Ukraine's second-largest arms supplier, after the United States, since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed reports of a plot to kill Rapperger. /REL
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