In view of the reports of plans to assassinate Rheinmetall boss Armin Papperger, other arms companies are considering tightening their security measures.

"For us, this is an opportunity to re-examine our already high security standards," a spokesperson for the arms supplier Hensoldt told the news agency Reuters on Friday. "We are monitoring the situation closely and adjusting our measures if necessary," said a spokesperson for Diehl Defense. The US news channel CNN and other media such as the "Financial Times" had reported that the USA and Germany had thwarted a Russian attack on Papperger planned at the beginning of the year. The Rheinmetall boss is one of the most prominent faces of the arms industry in Germany. "The German government will not allow itself to be intimidated," emphasized a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior. Russia rejected the reports of attack plans as false. It was "fake news".

The new Hensoldt CEO Oliver Dörre is far less present in the public eye than Papperger. The company, based in Taufkirchen near Munich, produces the radar for the IRIS-T air defense system, which Ukraine uses to defend itself against Russian attacks. The Nuremberg-based family-owned Diehl Group manufactures the air defense system. Rheinmetall, one of the world's largest producers of ammunition, is supporting Ukraine with tanks and artillery shells, among other things.

According to several media reports, the Russian government planned an assassination attempt on Papperger at the beginning of the year. The plot was part of a series of planned attacks on managers of European defense companies. The German secret services had thwarted the plans after being informed by the USA.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior referred to a broad threat to Germany from Russia, but did not comment specifically on Russian attack plans. "The threats range from espionage, sabotage and cyberattacks to state terrorism," said a spokesperson. He could not say anything about the details. However, it is clear that we are exposed to a wide range of threats. "The German government will not be intimidated. We have massively ramped up our protective measures in the face of the Russian threat over the last two years," the spokesperson emphasized.

A spokesperson for the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of the Interior said that it was not possible to comment on the matter for security reasons. Rheinmetall has its headquarters in Düsseldorf. There are always new incidents in companies that are being investigated to see whether they can be attributed to Russia, said Günther Schotten, Managing Director of the Federal Alliance for Security in Business. Many companies have professional security departments that repeatedly check whether their security precautions are appropriate.

"THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE WHAT I DO"

Papperger made it clear that the CNN report had not been plucked out of thin air. "CNN is not just looking at the sky," he told the Financial Times. He has repeatedly campaigned for more arms deliveries to Ukraine. His company, one of the largest manufacturers of ammunition in the world, operates a tank repair facility in the west of the country together with Ukraine. It was only in June that Papperger announced his intention to expand cooperation with Ukraine and supply Lynx infantry fighting vehicles. He had repeatedly emphasized Rheinmetall's desire to support Ukraine in its critical situation.

The manager is accompanied by security guards during appearances. "I am grateful that there are these security personnel," Papperger said at the beginning of May. "There are probably actually some people in the world who don't like what I do." The Federal Republic ensures that he is safe. "I am also grateful for that," he emphasized. "The necessary measures are always taken in regular consultation with the security authorities," said a Rheinmetall spokesperson. Unknown persons had carried out an arson attack on a gazebo on Papperger's property in Lower Saxony in April. The investigation is ongoing.

(Report by Alexander Hübner, Andreas Rinke and Matthias Inverardi, edited by Philipp Krach; if you have any questions, please contact our editorial team at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and the economy) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets)).