Putin personally criticised Rheinmetall CEO, whom Russia wanted to kill

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin personally mentioned Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger during a closed meeting with security officials in 2024, prior to an assassination attempt made on Papperger.

Focus sources in security circles say the meeting took place in March 2024 in Rostov-on-Don, where Putin met with senior officers of the Russian army and military intelligence (GRU).

Discussions at the meeting centred on Rheinmetall’s arms deliveries to Kyiv and the company’s planned construction of an ammunition plant and tank maintenance facility in Ukraine.

Focus sources state that Putin mentioned Papperger by name four times, "branding him a provocateur and a supporter of Ukraine, Russia’s adversary in the war".

This statement "alarmed German security agencies", leading to increased protection for Papperger.

Rheinmetall is the largest and most successful German manufacturer of crucial 155mm artillery shells, which have become a key weapon in the war in Ukraine.

In July 2024, CNN reported that the US and Germany had foiled a Russian plot to assassinate Papperger.

In January, NATO officially confirmed that Russia had intended to kill Papperger.

NATO stated that Kremlin plans were foiled by US and German intelligence and were part of a broader Russian effort to target defence industry executives across Europe.