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German authorities said on Saturday they were investigating a weapons cache found in woodland near Berlin amid suspicions that the firearms may have been intended for agents carrying out attacks on behalf of Russian intelligence services. Two loaded and operational firearms were discovered in Brandenburg last year, according to a joint investigation by German broadcasters NDR and WDR and the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

The case is being investigated by Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office. A suspect linked to the hiding place has reportedly been arrested in Romania.

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), is reported to have evidence suggesting the site may have been established on instructions from Russian security services.

The weapons were found in a professionally prepared hiding place in woodland on the outskirts of the German capital after authorities received a tip towards the end of last summer.

Rather than immediately removing the firearms, investigators rendered them unusable and kept the location under surveillance, hoping that someone would return to collect them.

Investigators are considering whether those responsible for the cache realised that German authorities had discovered it.

The hiding place is described in German reporting as a possible “dead letterbox” – a secret location where agents can leave materials or information for another person to collect without meeting them directly.

Suspected Plans for Attacks

German security officials reportedly suspect that the firearms may have been intended for agents carrying out so-called “kinetic operations” – acts involving physical violence – on behalf of Moscow. Reuters reported that authorities believe the weapons could have been used in assassinations.

No specific intended victim has been identified publicly, and investigators have not established that the firearms were linked to a particular planned killing.

The investigation comes amid growing concern in Germany about Russian espionage, sabotage and threats against people living in the country.

BfV chief Sinan Selen warned months ago that Russia could potentially carry out assassinations in Germany. Possible targets, he said, could include defence industry managers, Russian opposition figures living in exile and people supporting Ukraine.

However, there is no public evidence that any of those groups were the intended targets of the weapons found in Brandenburg.

Suspect Arrested in Romania

A suspect believed to be connected to the cache has been arrested in Romania, according to the German reports. Federal prosecutors are investigating the case on suspicion of preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state.

Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect or disclosed details of the evidence against them.

Both federal prosecutors and the BfV declined to comment to Reuters. The Russian embassy in Germany also did not respond to requests for comment.

The suspected Russian connection remains an intelligence assessment under investigation and has not been established by a court.

The case comes as German authorities increase scrutiny of foreign intelligence activity. The BfV recently announced a new service for people who have fled authoritarian states, including Russia, China and Iran, amid concerns that exiles may remain vulnerable to surveillance, intimidation, abduction or assassination.

Investigators will now seek to establish who supplied the firearms, who prepared the hiding place and who was expected to retrieve the weapons. They will also examine whether the cache can be conclusively linked to Russian intelligence and whether it was connected to a specific planned operation.

For now, authorities have confirmed the discovery of the weapons and the ongoing investigation, while the alleged Russian intelligence connection and suspected assassination plans remain under investigation.

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