Russia Launches Manhunt for Europe’s Top Defense Executives, FT Reports

Key Points:

• Russian intelligence agencies, particularly the GRU, are reportedly targeting senior executives and key employees of European defense companies with assassination plots to intimidate arms manufacturers supporting Ukraine.
• European intelligence services have disrupted several suspected Russian operations involving surveillance and coordination with organized criminal networks to obscure direct links to Moscow.
• Germany’s domestic intelligence agency (BfV) has increased security engagement with defense firms, advising enhanced protective measures and private security for executives and employees.
• The heightened security threats have led some defense companies to relocate operations and face significant financial burdens related to employee and facility protection.
• These assassination attempts aim to intimidate the broader European defense industry and discourage the supply of military technologies to Ukraine, although some plots have been detected and prevented by security services.