European defence companies are strengthening security measures for their senior executives following intelligence warnings that Russia is intensifying efforts to target individuals supporting Ukraine.
According to the Financial Times, officials from five European intelligence agencies have said that Russian operatives are increasingly targeting chief executives and other senior officials at defence companies as part of an expansion of suspected sabotage operations and hybrid activities across Europe.
The threat extends beyond major arms manufacturers to smaller companies producing drones and components for the defence industry. As a result, companies are investing more in personal protection for executives and in securing their facilities.
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), has increased contact with employees and executives at defence companies, recommending additional security measures, including the deployment of private close-protection teams.
BfV President Sinan Selen told German lawmakers that Russia was planning acts of violence against individuals through state actors or people operating under state control. According to Selen, organised crime networks are increasingly being used in these operations.
Security officials say several plots have been uncovered and foiled, while other cases have involved reports of suspicious surveillance near the homes and workplaces of targeted individuals.
According to intelligence sources, Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, is suspected of being involved in some of these operations and is reportedly cooperating with networks of agents and organised crime groups.
Beyond the threat to executives’ lives, officials warn that these activities may be intended to create fear and uncertainty, potentially pressuring companies to limit or avoid cooperation with Ukraine.
The pressure is also extending to companies operating in critical infrastructure and the energy sector. Meanwhile, industry executives warn that rising security costs could place a particularly heavy burden on start-ups and smaller companies.
Major European arms manufacturers have been on heightened alert since 2024, when US and German intelligence agencies uncovered an alleged Russian plot to target Armin Papperger, chief executive of the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall.
Papperger, who supports supplying weapons to Ukraine, is now under constant protection from private security guards and the police.
