Russian Intelligence Services Plotted to Kill German Drone Manufacturer CEO
German security services foiled the conspiracy after warnings from allied intelligence agencies, and two suspects have been arrested.
German security services foiled the conspiracy after warnings from allied intelligence agencies, and two suspects have been arrested.
German authorities have thwarted a plot by Russian intelligence services to assassinate Stefan Thumann, the CEO of the German drone manufacturer Donaustahl. The conspiracy was uncovered thanks to the timely response of German security services, which received a warning from intelligence agencies of partner countries.
According to information reported by Ukrainska Pravda, citing Germany's Die Zeit, in the spring of 2026, German police arrested two suspects: Ukrainian citizen Serhii N. and Romanian citizen Alla S. The federal prosecutor accuses them of acting as agents of a foreign intelligence service. Their lawyers declined to comment on the case to journalists.
The arrest operation was carried out in March 2026. Serhii N. was detained in Spain, where he had previously fled with his family, while Alla S. was arrested in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
According to the investigation's findings, between December 2025 and March 2026, the suspects systematically monitored Thumann near his residence. They photographed and filmed his home and the company's headquarters, and gathered information about him online. Investigators also uncovered possible attempts to spy on Thumann's father in the Bavarian town of Starnberg, with the aim of determining the son's whereabouts.
Germany's intelligence service received information about a serious threat to Thumann in December 2025 from an agency. Shortly thereafter, Bavarian police detained Serhii N., seizing his mobile phones and copying large amounts of data. Due to time constraints, the devices could not be fully analyzed while he was in custody, and he was released. Subsequent analysis revealed that he had likely been in contact with Russian intelligence officers.
Stefan Thumann is currently under enhanced protection. In a recent LinkedIn post, he wrote: "Unfortunately, for certain reasons, I cannot attend exhibitions, but we will certainly meet again in other formats soon."
Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt regularly receives reports on this case. Investigators reportedly do not consider Alla S. a professional agent, but rather an inexperienced individual.
This case is part of a broader pattern of Russian intelligence operations targeting leaders of the European defense industry. The media first reported on a foiled assassination attempt by Russian services on the CEO of a German arms company in the summer of 2024. In January 2025, NATO officially confirmed that Russia intended to kill Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger, adding that the plans were thwarted by U.S. and German intelligence services.
