NATO confirms for the first time that Russia had a plan to assassinate the CEO of Rheinmetall

Author:
Iryna Perepechko
Date:

NATO has confirmed that there was a Russian scheme to assassinate Armin Papperger, the CEO of the German concern Rheinmetall, which produces weapons for Ukraine.

This was stated by NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Innovation, Hybrids and Cybernetics James Appathurai at a meeting of the European Parliamentʼs Committee on Hybrid Warfare, Politico reports.

This is the first time a senior NATO, German, or U.S. official has officially confirmed that there was a plot to assassinate Papperger. In July 2024, global media reported that the U.S. and Germany had foiled a Russian plot to assassinate the CEO of Rheinmetall.

As a senior NATO official said, the assassination of the Rheinmetall chief was only part of a Russian plan to assassinate defense industry leaders across Europe.

“We have seen incidents of sabotage taking place in NATO countries over the last few years. I mean train derailments, arson, attacks on politicians’ properties, plots to assassinate industry leaders like the head of Rheinmetall, but there have been other plots as well,” Appathurai said.

According to him, the Russian Federation is recruiting people online for its own purposes, including “criminal groups or ignorant youth or migrants.” The goal of such Russian operations is to create anxiety and undermine support for Ukraine.

Appathurai said Europe needs to change its "boiling frog"

The expression comes from a metaphor describing a situation where gradual changes go unnoticed until they lead to a tipping point or catastrophe.
; mentality, echoing the words of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who said last December that it was time to move to "wartime thinking.”

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