Two Pistols Found in Berlin Forest Linked to Russian Intelligence Assassination Plots

Two handguns, loaded with live ammunition, have been discovered in a forest near Berlin, raising concerns that they were hidden by Russian intelligence services for potential assassination operations. German media reported on August 21 that the weapons were found in a hidden cache within a wooded area on the border between Berlin and the state of Brandenburg.

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The German security authorities are viewing these weapons as having been prepared for an attack.

Germany's Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, stated that security authorities believe the firearms were intended for use in attacks. He confirmed that federal prosecutors are investigating a suspect on charges of espionage and preparing serious acts of violence that threaten national security. The authorities had deliberately left the weapons in place, disabling them to prevent immediate use, while they monitored the site for activity.

Despite fitting the guns with GPS trackers for remote surveillance, no significant movement was detected over approximately one year. German authorities arrested a man in Romania last fall on suspicion of involvement in establishing the weapons cache. Dobrindt indicated that discussions are underway with Romanian authorities regarding the suspect's extradition, declining to reveal the suspect's nationality but acknowledging the possibility of foreign involvement.

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The Federal Prosecutor's Office is investigating a suspect on charges of espionage and preparing serious acts of violence that threaten national security.

Local media reports suggest that German authorities are focusing on the possibility that this constitutes a secret arsenal prepared by Russian intelligence for assassination missions within Germany. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has recently warned of potential Russian attempts to target exiled dissidents, defense industry executives, and pro-Ukraine individuals residing in Germany. The tactic of pre-positioning weapons and communication equipment in foreign locations for operatives is a known strategy employed by Russian intelligence services, dating back to the era of the KGB.

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We cannot rule out the possibility that foreign powers are involved in this.