Russia planned to murder Rheinmetall's CEO Armin Papperger, reports CNN with reference to several Western intelligence sources.
The murder plan was part of a larger Russian plot to murder executives in the European defense industry who support Ukraine's defense war.
The whole thing was revealed earlier this year by the American intelligence service, which in turn informed Berlin, confirmed by a high-ranking German government official. The German intelligence service was thus able to protect Papperger and avert the threat.
The large German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall produces, among other things, artillery grenades and the Leopard tank, which are delivered to Ukraine. The company is also in the process of opening factories in Ukraine that will produce ammunition and military vehicles.