German federal prosecutors have opened a formal investigation after the discovery of a hidden cache of weapons in a forest on the outskirts of Berlin, which authorities suspect was planted by Russian intelligence in preparation for assassination operations on German soil. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed the investigation at a news conference on Friday, saying prosecutors were acting "on suspicion of preparing a serious act of violence that threatens national security" and that the involvement of foreign powers could not be ruled out.
The weapons — two handguns and ammunition — were found roughly a year ago in a wooded area along the border between Berlin and the state of Brandenburg, after Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the BfV (Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution), received a tip about the location. Rather than immediately seizing the cache, investigators rendered the weapons unusable, fitted them with GPS trackers, and maintained covert electronic surveillance of the site for several months in hopes of catching those behind it. No one came to collect the weapons, and authorities now consider the cache "dead" — most likely because those involved detected the police presence and abandoned it.
A suspect was arrested in Romania last autumn and is believed to have set up the hidden depot. Dobrindt described him as a "low-level agent" and said Germany is seeking his extradition, while also investigating possible links to a separate plot involving parcel bombs targeting Ukrainian logistics routes across Europe. Investigators are examining whether the Berlin cache is connected to a broader Russian sabotage campaign: in 2024, a firebomb concealed in a DHL parcel exploded at Leipzig airport, a facility that has served as a key hub for the transport of military equipment to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
According to joint reporting by the Süddeutsche Zeitung and public broadcasters NDR and WDR, Russian intelligence is believed to have drawn up lists of potential targets in Germany, including executives of weapons manufacturers, Ukrainian opposition figures in exile, and prominent supporters of Kyiv. This aligns with earlier reports that Russian agents had plotted to kill Armin Papperger, chief executive of Rheinmetall, one of Germany's leading arms producers. The head of the drone manufacturer Donaustahl is also said to be under police protection following a reported Russian targeting operation. The use of pre-positioned weapons caches was described as standard Soviet practice during the Cold War, now apparently revived under current Russian intelligence doctrine.
The Berlin discovery comes just over two weeks after an explosive-laden drone was found at Leipzig airport near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft — a case Dobrindt also linked to possible foreign state involvement. The BfV's chief, Sinan Selen, has repeatedly warned in recent months that Russian intelligence services are adopting increasingly aggressive tactics inside Germany and the wider EU. Russia has denied involvement in any sabotage or intimidation campaigns in Europe, and the Russian embassy declined to comment on the latest revelations.