Report: Alleged Russian Plot to Kill Rheinmetall CEO Foiled

Facts

• Citing five unidentified American and Western intelligence officials, CNN reported on Thursday that the US and Germany had foiled an alleged Russian plot to assassinate the chief executive officer of Germany's leading arms manufacturer.¹
• CNN claims that the alleged plot against Armin Papperger, the CEO of Rheinmetall — which has been supplying military equipment and ammunition to Ukraine — was part of a covert effort to assassinate European defense industry chiefs supporting Ukraine.²
• When the US intelligence agencies discovered the alleged plot earlier this year, they flagged it to their counterparts in Germany, who successfully foiled it.³
• Though CNN didn't reveal when and how exactly Russia had allegedly planned to assassinate Papperger, Papperger told the Financial Times that the outlet's report was credible, noting, 'I think CNN is not just looking up at the sky.'⁴
• A patrol car and numerous armed police officers had been parked outside the Rheinmetall headquarters in the western German city of Düsseldorf daily for months, while Papperger has been under police protection from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.⁵
• While Rheinmetall didn't corroborate the report, it said that the 'necessary measures are always taken' to ensure security, while Moscow has labeled the accusations as 'fake.'⁶

Sources: ¹CNN, ²Reuters (a), ³POLITICO, ⁴Ft, ⁵Guardian and ⁶Reuters (b).

Narratives

• Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by New York Times. Papperger is a thorn in Moscow's side because his firm is building a factory in Ukraine to resurrect its arms industry and help the country reduce its reliance on Western assistance. The Russian plot to assassinate him underlines the need to protect Europeans as Moscow is willing to murder private citizens on their soil in a parallel hybrid war it's waging across the West.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. CNN's report can't be taken seriously as the Western news outlet neither provided any evidence of the 'sophisticated' or 'mature' assassination plot nor elaborated on whether Russia sought to carry out the murder directly or through a local proxy. This is another fake story spread by the West to stoke anti-Kremlin sentiments and justify its continuous flow of arms to Ukraine.

Predictions