Russian special services planned an assassination attempt on Stefan Thumann, CEO of the German company Donaustahl. The German newspaper Die Zeit reported this on 5 August 2026.
Thanks to the swift action of German security services — alerted by intelligence agencies from friendly countries — the attack was prevented. Thumann is now under enhanced protection.
According to the report, German police arrested two suspects in spring 2026: Ukrainian national Serhii N. in Spain and Romanian national Alla S. in North Rhine-Westphalia. Investigators say the pair conducted surveillance on Thumann from December 2025 to March 2026, photographing and filming his home in Bavaria and the company headquarters, as well as gathering information about him online.
German intelligence first learned of a serious threat to Thumann’s life in December 2025 from a foreign partner agency. Bavarian officers then detained Serhii N. and seized his phones. He later fled to Spain, while Alla S. continued the surveillance in Germany. In March 2026, authorities carried out a coordinated operation and arrested both suspects.
Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office has charged the pair with acting as agents of a foreign intelligence service. Donaustahl produces reconnaissance and strike drones supplied to Ukraine.