Germany warns its defence sector of heightened Russian espionage, sabotage, and assassination risks following deeper cooperation with Ukraine, urging strengthened security measures.

Germany's domestic intelligence agency issued a security advisory warning that security and defence companies in Germany face an elevated risk of espionage, sabotage, and potential attacks linked to Russia. The advisory comes after a March 2026 agreement between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to deepen German-Ukrainian cooperation. Russia's Defence Ministry published a list of German companies, considered a reaction to this agreement. The advisory highlights that Russian state actors and proxies are targeting defence companies and military infrastructure in Germany with possible targeted attacks on individuals, including senior executives. Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger has been under police protection since 2022, with US authorities warning of an alleged Russian assassination plot against him in 2024. The German Federal Prosecutor’s Office has arrested suspects linked to espionage and sabotage, including an incident involving a camera near a German-British military engineering unit. Russian intelligence uses low-level agents recruited via messaging platforms for small payments and employs phishing via encrypted messaging to manipulate individuals. Commercially available location data is exploited to track defence sector employees. The advisory emphasizes the importance of targeted awareness campaigns and secure ICT use, urging employees to limit online information sharing and exercise caution when traveling, especially to countries with extensive surveillance powers. Additionally, German authorities warn that sanctions evasion networks seek Western tech and expertise for Russia's arms industry. There are potential threats from pro-Palestinian and violent left-wing extremists targeting defence companies linked to Israel or Germany's military rearmament. Businesses are urged to strengthen cybersecurity, employee training, and physical security measures.