Bosses of British defence companies supplying weapons to Ukraine have been warned they face an elevated risk of being targeted by Russian spies. Senior government officials conveyed these threats to chief executive officers during a roundtable meeting earlier this summer.
The meeting, organized by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, comes after reports of foiled Russian assassination plots against the heads of two German defence companies. One of these targets was Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, a company with a substantial contract to supply artillery shells to Ukrainian forces.
Companies identified as prominent suppliers of equipment to Ukraine include Ukrspecsystems, which manufactures drones and is based near RAF Mildenhall in West Suffolk. BAE Systems subsidiary Callen-Lenz, a supplier of drones used in recent strikes on Russian oil refineries, and MBDA, a maker of Storm Shadow missiles utilized by Ukraine, are also noted.
Security experts suggest that leaders of defence companies in the UK and Europe are increasingly concerned about their personal security and the safety of their company installations. Russia is perceived to be signaling that all entities involved in the defence sector are now considered legitimate targets. It is understood that Russian President Vladimir Putin is particularly displeased with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham for reportedly providing Ukraine with blueprints for long-range Storm Shadow missiles.