German authorities discover suspected Russian weapons cache near Berlin

German security authorities have discovered a professionally established weapons cache in a forest near the border of Berlin and Brandenburg. The depot, containing handguns, was located last summer following a specific tip.

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution believes the cache was created on behalf of Russian intelligence services. Authorities suspect the weapons were intended for agents to carry out so-called ‘kinetic operations,’ such as assassinations or attacks, targeting individuals including arms managers, exiled opposition members, or supporters of Ukraine.

The Federal Prosecutor General is currently investigating the matter on suspicion of preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state. A suspect has reportedly been arrested in Romania. In an attempt to monitor the site, officials had previously rendered the weapons inoperable and equipped them with GPS trackers, though the cache is now considered ‘dead.’