Russian spy operation near Berlin goes awry as secret cache disclosed
Photo: German security authorities responded promptly (Getty Images)
A secret weapons cache set up by Russian intelligence services was discovered in Germany, near Berlin. The Kremlin's henchmen planned to carry out kinetic operations, including assassinations on German soil, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Law enforcement officers received information from an informant and subsequently discovered a cache of pistols in the forest.
Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) concluded that the cache had been set up on behalf of Russian intelligence services.
The weapons were rendered inoperable, and surveillance was set up at the cache; however, it did not yield the desired results. The perpetrators may learn of the discovery.
The German Federal Prosecutor's Office is investigating the case on suspicion of planning a serious violent crime that could pose a threat to the state.
Furthermore, a suspect has already been detained in Romania.
According to German security agencies, the weapons were intended for agents who were to carry out kinetic operations in Germany on behalf of Moscow, including assassinations.
For a long time, BfV Director Sinan Selen has warned of the possibility of Russian attacks on specific individuals.
According to him, Russian intelligence agencies planned to eliminate weapons manufacturers, Russian opposition figures living in exile, and supporters of Ukraine.
Germany is preparing for possible retaliation by Russia for the attack on a Ukrainian plane in Leipzig.
German authorities faced a barrage of criticism following the detention of Ukrainian citizens in connection with the Nord Stream pipeline explosions.
