1026 GMT - An attempt to assassinate Rheinmetall's Chief Executive Armin Papperger was part of a broader plan to kill Western industry leaders, James Appathurai, NATO's deputy assistant secretary-general for innovation, hybrid and cyber, tells the European parliament. Since 2022, NATO has seen incidents of sabotage taking place across its member states, Appathurai says. This includes "derailments of trains, acts of arson, attacks on politicians' properties, plots to assassinate industry leaders like publicly the head of Rheinmetall but there were other plots as well, incendiary devices put or almost put on aircraft which could have lost very substantial loss of life," Appathurai says. Last year, the U.S. warned Germany that Russia had set in motion a plan targeting Papperger in early 2024, U.S. and German officials said at the time. Shares are up 0.4% at 726 euros. (cristina.gallardo@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 28, 2025 05:26 ET (10:26 GMT)

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