Weapons Cache Found Near Berlin Linked to Suspected Russian Agents

German authorities have uncovered a weapons cache in a forest near Berlin, containing two functional firearms and ammunition, which they suspect was stashed for Russian agents. The discovery has prompted an investigation by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office into preparations for a serious crime against the state.

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The participation of foreign forces cannot be ruled out.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed the find, stating that a suspect arrested in Romania last autumn could be connected to the cache. Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, had learned of the possible arms depot on the outskirts of Berlin last October. Intelligence services, along with police, located the site.

According to reports from regional broadcasters NDR and WDR in collaboration with "Süddeutsche Zeitung," German security services are convinced the weapons were intended for agents to carry out "kinetic operations," such as assassinations, on behalf of Russia. The cache is described as a "so-called dead drop with potentially lethal content."

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This case shows that we must count on a high level of threat.

While Dobrindt noted that foreign involvement cannot be ruled out and the ongoing investigation may yield further insights, he emphasized the high level of threat. He stated the case fits into "hybrid threat scenarios" but cautioned against directly linking it to other current incidents. The recovered weapons were reportedly disabled and equipped with a GPS tracker, though surveillance of the cache was unsuccessful, possibly indicating the perpetrators noticed its discovery. Neither the Russian embassy nor the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution commented on the case.

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This fits into 'hybrid threat scenarios,' but that does not claim there is a connection between this case and other current incidents.