Stephan Kramer, President of the Thuringian Office for the Protection of the Constitution, warns that the recent arrest of suspected Russian spies has heightened the threat to executives in the arms industry. “Risk tolerance and aggressive potential have risen markedly in recent months-from intimidation and compromising to concrete attacks on the lives of weapons managers as part of hybrid operations” Kramer told the “Handelsblatt”.
The federal prosecutor’s office announced on Tuesday that two individuals had been detained for allegedly spying for a Russian intelligence service. They are accused of monitoring a businessman whose company, based in Bavaria, supplies drone components to Ukraine.
Kramer said that armament companies and their managers-especially those supporting Ukraine-are no longer “new” targets for Russia. “They are perceived as legitimate targets” he added, noting that this assessment has long been part of the security situation reviews and warnings issued by German authorities. He cautioned that the personal circles of these managers are also at risk.
The agency chief referenced past tactics used by Russian agents, describing a long tradition of lethal operations and poison attacks carried out by Russian intelligence services. These actions have primarily targeted opponents and former intelligence personnel in European exile over recent decades.