U.S. and German intelligence officials have revealed that they thwarted a Russian plot to assassinate the head of a major German arms manufacturer as part of a sabotage campaign against Ukraine’s support network.

“In view of the latest reports on Rheinmetall, this is what we have actually been communicating more and more clearly in recent months: Russia is waging a hybrid war of aggression,” Annalena Baerbock, Germany’s foreign minister, said on the sidelines of this week’s NATO summit. 

“We have seen that there have been attacks on people on European territory,” she explained. “We have seen that there have been , and this underlines once again that we as Europeans must protect ourselves as best we can and not be naive.”

Multiple sources, including five U.S. and Western officials familiar with the episode, have corroborated the allegation, stating that the plot against the German executive was one of “a series” of assassination attempts targeting defense industry executives across Europe.

Rheinmetall is a leading manufacturer of large artillery shells, which have proven crucial in Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s ongoing war. The manufacturer even plans to open an armored vehicle plant inside Ukraine in the coming weeks. 

Since the invasion of Ukraine started, Russia has viewed Rheinmetall as a “thorn in Moscow’s side” due to its provision of a range of weapons and tanks to Ukraine, including the Leopard 1 tank and Marder infantry fighting vehicles. 

The plot to kill Rheinmetall’s CEO Armin Papperger surfaced earlier this year when U.S. intelligence uncovered it and informed German counterparts, enabling them to take action. German intelligence later informed Rheinmetall about the plot after it had been thwarted. 

A Rheinmetall spokesperson clarified that there was no concrete attempt but simply a “plot” that German intelligence prevented from advancing. The company also emphasized that “necessary measures are always taken” in conjunction with security authorities to safeguard personnel. 

Katrin Koffler, a freelance consultant for international, politics and world news, told Digital that the plot to kill Papperger would be consistent with “Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s Playbook,” aligning with what she called the “wet deeds” doctrine.

“’Wet deeds’ are targeted assassinations conducted by Russian intelligence services on Putin’s orders to eliminate the so-called enemies of the state,” Koffler explained, adding that such activities are authorized by Russian federal law to counter “extreme activity,” including killings, kidnappings, poisonings, “forced suicides” and “other acts of intimidation and murder.” 

A senior NATO official told reporters at the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., that Russia has intensified its efforts to sabotage Ukraine’s support network throughout Europe, warning that Moscow is engaged in sabotage, assassination plots and arson – “things that have cost in human lives.” 

“I believe very much that we’re seeing a campaign of cover sabotage activities from Russia that have strategic consequences,” the official said.