German police believe a cache of firearms discovered in a Berlin forest last year was intended for use by Russian intelligence in assassination plots, German media reported.
Suddeutsche Zeitung and German public broadcasters NDR and WDR all reported that German police believed the weapons were intended for lethal operations by Russian intelligence, but Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stopped short of confirming as much when speaking to reporters on Friday. He did confirm that a suspect was arrested in Romania on suspicion of espionage and carrying out a violent act, and German authorities are currently seeking their extradition.
“This case demonstrates that we are operating under a high threat level,” he said.
When asked about the weapons cache and if it was intended for assassinations on behalf of Russian intelligence, Dobrindt said that foreign involvement couldn’t be ruled out.
According to German media, the cache in Berlin contained two handguns and ammunition. After their discovery, police monitored the position in hopes of catching the perpetrators. Months passed with no activity, and the cache was removed.
As for the suspect in Romania, Dobrindt said officials believed they were a “low-level agent.” Others had been arrested over the past year, including a Kazakhstan citizen. All seemed uninformed and unaware that they were part of a larger network.
“We will then determine, in the course of the investigation, what measures can be taken against this person,” he said of the suspect in Romanian custody.
News of the discovery came shortly after an explosive-laden drone was discovered near Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport, prompting its temporary closure, which U.S. intelligence reportedly believed belonged to Russian intelligence. Another incident was reported hours later in which an unidentified object collided with a Ukrainian cargo plane, forcing an emergency landing but not causing any serious damage.
US INTELLIGENCE SUSPECTS RUSSIA BEHIND EXPLOSIVE DRONE PLOT AT GERMAN AIRPORT: REPORT
From August 2024 to February 2026, suspicious drones were recorded in at least 144 incidents across 13 countries, according to a recent report from the United Kingdom’s International Institute for Strategic Studies. Western intelligence has increasingly warned of hybrid operations being waged by Russian intelligence to counter Western countries’ heavy military and material support for Ukraine.
Russia has rejected all accusations of espionage, portraying them as part of anti-Russian hysteria.