Germany probes Russian-linked weapons cache near Berlin

German intelligence agencies say a cache of guns found in woods on the outskirts of Berlin was linked to Russia’s covert assassination plans, a claim that has not been formally confirmed by the interior ministry.

The police officer pictured may be one of those watching the site after the weapons—two handguns and ammunition—were rendered inoperable. Authorities placed the cache under surveillance for months, but no suspicious approach was recorded.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said prosecutors were investigating a suspect in Romania, allegedly connected to a series of parcel‑bomb attacks there, and that a "low‑level agent" might have been involved. He acknowledged that foreign powers could be implicated.

The investigation follows earlier Russian‑linked plots, including a CNN story of a planned murder of the head of Rheinmetall and the 2021 court case over a Berlin park murder ordered by Moscow. The political fallout underscores the high threat level for state actors in Germany.

Though the report raises concerns, it stresses that the weapons cache’s discovery and subsequent handling demonstrate the German security forces’ vigilance amid geopolitical tensions that could distract from climate cooperation efforts.