WASHINGTON: Western intelligence agencies have uncovered Russian plots to carry out assassinations, arson and other sabotage in Europe against companies and people linked to support for Ukraine’s military — one of the most serious being a plan to kill the head of a German arms manufacturer, a Western government official said.
The plots have sometimes involved recruiting common criminals in foreign countries to conduct the attacks, said the official, who is familiar with the situation but not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
One major plot recently uncovered had targeted Armin Papperger, CEO of defense company Rheinmetall, the official said.
The official declined to offer any details on other plots, which were first reported by CNN. The CNN report said the US informed Germany, whose security services were able to protect Papperger and foil the plot.
Rheinmetall is a major supplier of military technology and artillery rounds for Ukraine as it fights off Russian forces. The company last month opened an armored vehicle maintenance and repair facility in western Ukraine and also aims to start production inside the country.
White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson declined to comment on the alleged plot to kill Papperger but said, “Russia’s intensifying campaign of subversion is something that we are taking extremely seriously and have been intently focused on over the past few months.”
“The United States has been discussing this issue with our NATO allies, and we are actively working together to expose and disrupt these activities,” Watson added. “We have also been clear that Russia’s actions will not deter allies from continuing to support Ukraine.”
Neither Rheinmetall nor the German government would comment Friday on the reported plot against Papperger. The Interior Ministry can’t comment on “individual threat situations,” spokesperson Maximilian Kall said, but he added that more broadly, “we take the significantly increased threat from Russian aggression very seriously.”
“We know that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s regime wants above all to undermine our support for Ukraine in its defense against the Russian war of aggression, but the German government won’t be intimidated,” Kall said.
He noted that German security measures have increased significantly since 2022 and that “the threats range from espionage and sabotage, through cyberattacks, to state terrorism.”
European officials gathered for the NATO summit in Washington this week spoke of dealing with an escalation of “hybrid” attacks that they blame on Russia and its allies.
That includes what authorities called suspicious recent fires at industrial and commercial sites in Lithuania, Poland, the United Kingdom, Germany and other nations, and charges that Russia-allied Belarus was sending large numbers of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa to the borders of Poland, Latvia and other countries belonging to NATO.
When asked at a news conference at the NATO summit Thursday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he could not comment on the CNN report. He did note a widespread campaign by Russian security services to conduct “hostile actions” against NATO allies, including sabotage, cyberattacks and arson.
“These are not standalone instances. These are part of a pattern, part of an ongoing Russian campaign. And the purpose of this campaign is, of course, to intimidate NATO allies from supporting Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said.
In April, German investigators arrested two German-Russian men on suspicion of espionage, one of them accused of agreeing to carry out attacks on potential targets, including US military facilities, in hopes of sabotaging aid for Ukraine.
Germany has become the second-biggest supplier of weapons to Ukraine after the United States since Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the report of a plan to kill Papperger. “All of this is again presented in the fake style, so such reports cannot be taken seriously,” he told reporters Friday.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to his Russian counterpart, Andrei Belousov, on Friday, their second call in less than a month, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh announced at a briefing Friday. The call was initiated by the Russian defense minister, Singh said.
She did not have further details to share, including whether the two leaders spoke about the accusations that Russia had attempted to assassinate top officials of Western defense firms producing weapons systems that are sent to Ukraine, but said “maintaining lines of communication is incredibly important right now.”
Russian assassination plots against those supporting Ukraine uncovered in Europe, official says
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Russian assassination plots against those supporting Ukraine uncovered in Europe, official says
- The plots have sometimes involved recruiting common criminals in foreign countries to conduct the attacks
- One major plot recently uncovered had targeted Armin Papperger, CEO of defense company Rheinmetall
British minister cites Islamophobia as motivation for far-right violence in UK
- Amnesty chief wants action on ‘root cause’ of racism
LONDON: The UK’s home secretary on Monday pointed to Islamophobia for the first time as a motivation for far-right violence in several cities that has seen widespread damage and nearly 400 arrests.
Yvette Cooper was appearing on ITV’s morning television show “This Morning” and was asked why the Labour government had not used the term when talking about the violence, which broke out on Tuesday following a stabbing in which three children were killed.
“You’re right that there has been a range of different things driving this, including far-right extremism,” Cooper told the program.
“We have certainly seen some targeted attacks on mosques, and that clearly reflects Islamophobia, and people shouldn’t be targeted for their faith or for the color of their skin.
“We’ve also seen some looting, some response of local criminals just getting involved at the periphery on streets as well. None of these people speak for Britain,” she added.
Cooper’s department, the Home Office, said over the weekend it would deploy extra police and security for mosques under new emergency measures, The Telegraph reported.
A suspended Labour MP, Zarah Sultana, also appeared on “This Morning” and pushed the government to do more to call out hatred against Muslims.
“This question about naming it as Islamophobia is really important, because that allows us to shape our response,” she said.
“If we’re not identifying what is happening, the language that is being used and what this is about, we’re not going to be able to address this fundamentally,” she added.
Also on Monday, the head of Amnesty International UK said the government must get serious about tackling the “root cause of racism that plagues” British society.
“The widespread violence and hate crimes we’ve witnessed over the last few days are utterly unacceptable,” Sacha Deshmukh said.
“It’s disgusting to see hotels housing people seeking sanctuary set on fire, mosques and businesses attacked, and people targeted because of the color of their skin, their faith or their country of origin,” he added.
He said the violence was inspired by the rhetoric of politicians who had “scapegoated” refugees and migrants.
“Events of the last few days have been reported as ‘anti-immigration protests’ or ‘pro-British demonstrations’ and they should not be labeled as such. What we are seeing are clearly violent racist attacks targeting specific communities,” he said.
“Above all, the government must address the root causes of racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia that plagues our society — and this includes actively calling out and addressing the dangerous rhetoric of politicians and commentators on social media and elsewhere.”
Kyiv receives $3.9bn grant from America, PM says
KYIV: Ukraine has received a $3.9 billion grant from the United States via the World Bank, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Monday.
“This is the first tranche of direct budget support from the United States in 2024. In total, Ukraine will receive $7.8 billion in direct budgetary assistance from the US this year, which will allow us to confidently pass this financial period,” Shmyhal said on the Telegram messaging app.
The Ukrainian Finance Ministry, in a separate statement, said the funds would be directed toward wages for teachers, staff of the State Emergency Service and other public employees, as well as assistance for displaced persons, low-income families and people with disabilities. “The grant will help Ukraine to reimburse priority social and humanitarian expenditures without increasing the debt burden,” Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said in a statement.
The ministry said that since February 2022, direct budget support from the US had reached almost $27 billion, the largest source of financial assistance to Ukraine. Marchenko said the grant was a part of a large $60 billion package of support for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukrainian pilots have started flying F-16s for operations within the nation, confirming the long-awaited arrival of the US-made fighter jets more than 29 months after Russia’s invasion. The Ukrainian leader announced the use of F-16s, which Kyiv has long lobbied for, as he met military pilots at an air base flanked by two of the jets, with two more flying overhead.
“F-16s are in Ukraine. We did it. I am proud of our guys who are mastering these jets and have already started using them for our country,” Zelensky said.
The arrival of the jets is a milestone for Ukraine, though it remains unclear how many are available and how much of an impact they will have in enhancing air defenses and on the battlefield.
Bangladesh’s history of upheaval and coups
- Country’s first PM Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated along with most of his family in a military coup in 1975
- Bangladesh’s Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman says Hasina had resigned following violent anti-quota protests
NEW DELHI: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation after weeks of violent protests, announced on Monday in a televised address by the army chief, has brought focus once more to the country’s history of political upheaval and coups.
1975
The country’s first Prime minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina’s father, was assassinated along with most of his family members in a military coup that brought in a long period of military rule. Two more coups in the same year ended with General Ziaur Rahman seizing power in November.
1981
Ziaur Rahman was assassinated by rebels who stormed into a government guest house in Chittagong city where he was residing. The violence was believed to be the act of a small group of army officers, but the army itself remained loyal and suppressed the rebellion.
1982
Rahman’s successor, Abdus Sattar, was ousted in a bloodless military coup led by Hussein Muhammad Ershad, who took over as chief martial-law administrator and later assumed the office of president.
2007
The army chief staged a military coup and backed a caretaker government that ruled the country for the next two years until Hasina took power in 2009.
2009
Unhappy with their wages and living conditions, revolting paramilitary forces killed more than 70 people in the capital Dhaka, most of whom were army officers. The mutiny, as it was called, which had spread to nearly a dozen towns, ended after six days as the angry guards surrendered following a series of discussions.
2012
The Bangladesh army said it had foiled a coup attempt by retired and serving officers that was driven by a campaign to introduce Sharia, or Islamic law, throughout the country.
2024
Bangladesh’s Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said Hasina had resigned following violent anti-quota protests and an interim government would be formed to lead the country.
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina quits after weeks of deadly protests
- Around 300 Bangladeshis were killed in deadly government crackdown
- Bangladesh’s army will oversee the formation of an interim government
DHAKA: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country on Monday, ending 15 years in power as thousands of demonstrators defied a nationwide curfew and stormed her official residence.
In a televised address, Bangladesh’s military chief Waker-Uz-Zaman announced he was assuming control at a “critical time for our country” and confirmed that Hasina has left Dhaka for a “place of safety,” as local media reported neighboring India as her initial destination.
“I am taking responsibility now and we will go to the president and ask to form an interim government to lead the country in the meantime,” he said.
Zaman said the army would stand down and that an investigation would be launched into the deadly crackdowns that fueled outrage against the government.
“Keep faith in the military, we will investigate all the killings and punish the responsible … I have ordered that no army and police will indulge in any kind of firing,” he said.
“Now, the students’ duty is to stay calm and help us.”
After the army confirmed Hasina’s resignation, thousands of people poured into the capital’s streets in jubilation and shouted slogans. Television visuals showed masses storming Hasina’s official residence in the capital, pumping fists, making victory signs, and removing furniture and other household items.
Hasina had ruled Bangladesh since 2009 and was elected for a fourth consecutive term in a January vote that was boycotted by her main opponents, sparking concerns over how free and fair the vote was.
She was forced out by weeks of protests that started out peacefully but turned into deadly clashes with security forces, leading to communications blackout, curfews, and around 300 deaths.
Students were the ones leading earlier protests that began in July to demand reforms to a quota system for government jobs, which the Supreme Court eventually scaled back. But as the rallies turned deadly and authorities attempted to quell the violence with force, the movement escalated into a campaign to oust Hasina.
At least 11,000 people have been arrested in recent weeks, with the unrest leading to closure of schools and universities across the South Asian nation and authorities issuing a shoot-on-sight curfew at one point.
Student activists called for a march to Dhaka on Monday in defiance of the latest curfew to press for Hasina’s resignation. This comes after nearly 100 people, including over a dozen police officers, were killed on Sunday following a fresh wave of deadly clashes across the country.
“SECOND REVOLUTION”
Hasina, 76, was one of the world’s longest ruling female leaders and has played a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s politics, a nation of about 170 million people that declared its independence in 1971.
She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s charismatic founding leader, who was killed in 1975 in a military coup when Ms. Hasina was 28. She served as prime minister from 1996 to 2001 and regained power in 2009.
Under her leadership, Bangladesh became one of the fastest-growing economies in the region, with World Bank estimates showing that more than 25 million people in the country have been lifted out of poverty in the last two decades.
But critics say she has grown increasingly autocratic and called her a threat to the country’s democracy, with many saying that the recent unrest reflected a broader discontent against her rule.
“Bengalis have witnessed the second revolution in its history of 52 years since independence,” Prof. A.S.M. Amanullah, a professor of sociology at Dhaka University, told Arab News.
Amanullah said the students had demanded “total reform” of the country, and said all of the nation’s institutions were corrupt, with the government of the last 15 years to blame.
“It is the people’s power. It is a voice to the rest of the world. It is a voice to the rest of the Indian subcontinent,” Amanullah said.
“If you work against your people, whatever you may be, whoever you may be, you cannot sustain in the long run.”
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina quits after weeks of deadly protests
- Around 300 Bangladeshis killed in deadly government crackdown
- Military will oversee formation of an interim government
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country on Monday, ending 15 years in power as thousands of demonstrators defied a nationwide curfew and stormed her official residence.
In a televised address, Bangladesh’s military chief, Waker-Uz-Zaman, announced he was assuming control at a “critical time for our country” and confirmed that Hasina left Dhaka for a “place of safety,” as local media reported neighboring India as her initial destination.
“I am taking responsibility now and we will go to the president and ask to form an interim government to lead the country in the meantime,” he said.
Zaman said the military would stand down and that an investigation would be launched into the deadly crackdowns that fueled outrage against the government.
“Keep faith in the military, we will investigate all the killings and punish the responsible … I have ordered that no army and police will indulge in any kind of firing,” he said.
“Now, the students’ duty is to stay calm and help us.”
Hasina had ruled Bangladesh since 2009 and was elected for a fourth consecutive term in a January vote that was boycotted by her main opponents, sparking concerns over how free and fair the election was.
She was forced out by weeks of protests that started peacefully but turned into deadly clashes with security forces, leading to a communications blackout, curfews, and around 300 deaths.
Students were the ones leading earlier protests that began in July to demand reforms to a quota system for government jobs, which the Supreme Court eventually scaled back. But as the rallies turned deadly and authorities attempted to quell the violence with force, the movement escalated into a campaign to oust Hasina.
At least 11,000 people have been arrested in recent weeks, with the unrest leading to closure of schools and universities across the South Asian nation and authorities issuing a shoot-on-sight curfew at one point.
Student activists called for a march to Dhaka on Monday in defiance of the latest curfew to press for Hasina’s resignation. This comes after nearly 100 people, including over a dozen police officers, were killed the day before following a fresh wave of deadly clashes across the country.
After the military confirmed Hasina’s resignation, thousands of people poured onto the capital’s streets in jubilation. Television visuals showed masses storming Hasina’s official residence in the capital, pumping fists, making victory signs, and removing furniture and other household items.
Hasina, 76, was one of the world’s longest ruling female leaders and has played a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s politics, a nation of about 170 million people that declared its independence in 1971.
She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s charismatic founding leader, who was killed in 1975 in a military coup when Hasina was 28. She served as prime minister from 1996 to 2001 and regained power in 2009.
Under her leadership, Bangladesh became one of the fastest-growing economies in the region, with World Bank estimates showing that more than 25 million people in the country have been lifted out of poverty in the last two decades.
But critics say she has grown increasingly autocratic and called her a threat to the country’s democracy, with many saying that the recent unrest reflected a broader discontent against her rule.
“Bengalis have witnessed the second revolution in its history of 52 years since independence,” Prof. A.S.M. Amanullah, a professor of sociology at Dhaka University, told Arab News.
Amanullah said the students had demanded “total reform” of the country, and said all of the nation’s institutions were corrupt, with the government of the last 15 years to blame.
“It is the people’s power. It is a voice to the rest of the world. It is a voice to the rest of the Indian subcontinent,” Amanullah said.
“If you work against your people, whatever you may be, whoever you may be, you cannot sustain in the long run.”
