In brief
Last year, German intelligence uncovered a small stash of handguns and ammunition in the woods just outside Berlin. Interior Secretary Alexander Dobrindt says the cache may have been intended for targeted killings carried out on Moscow’s behalf. The ministry is investigating a suspect in Romania, described as a low‑level agent, while ruling out outright confirmation of Russian involvement. The case underscores rising concerns about foreign‑state assassination plots on German soil, following earlier indictments of Russian operatives for similar crimes.
German intelligence believes a cache of guns found in the woods near Berlin last year was for carrying out assassinations on behalf of Russia, reports say.
German intelligence has identified a stash that could have been used for targeted killings, and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is leading the investigation.
Interior Minister Dobrindt said federal prosecutors were investigating a suspect in Romania over suspicions of espionage and the preparation of a serious act of violence threatening the state, describing the suspect as a "low‑level agent" and refusing to disclose their nationality.
Officials warned that Russian intelligence services have been planning assassinations on German soil, potentially targeting defence industry executives or opposition figures in exile. The investigation follows earlier accusations of Russian attacks on German soil, including a case where a Russian national was jailed for a murder ordered by Moscow.
Earlier this year, media reported that Russia plotted to kill the head of Germany's biggest arms company, Rheinmetall. The cache was found in October with the help of Berlin State police, containing two handguns and ammunition. The weapons have been rendered inoperable, and the site has been under surveillance.
