NATO: There was a plan by Russia to assassinate the head of Rheinmetall.

According to a senior NATO official, James Appathurai, Russia had planned the assassinations of defense industry leaders across Europe, including Papperger. He added that the Russians are recruiting individuals online, utilizing "criminal groups, unsuspecting youth, or migrants" to carry out criminal activities.

"In the last couple of years, we have witnessed sabotage incidents in NATO countries, which I mean train derailments, arson, attacks on the property of politicians, and conspiracies aimed at assassinating industry leaders such as the head of Rheinmetall," Appathurai stated.

This marks the first instance where a high-ranking official from NATO, Germany, or the United States has officially confirmed the conspiracy to assassinate Papperger, which was widely reported in the global media in July 2024. At that time, it was revealed that U.S. and German intelligence had thwarted an assassination attempt on Papperger that was ordered by Russian authorities.

Rheinmetall is the largest German arms manufacturer, supplying weapons to Ukraine among other nations. This includes ammunition and military equipment.