---
title: "Thwarted Assassination Attempt on Donaustahl Head: How German Intelligence Stopped a Russian Operation"
description: "German intelligence services thwarted an assassination attempt on Stefan Tumann, head of drone manufacturer Donaustahl. Two suspects acting on behalf of Russian intelligence were detained; surveillance had been conducted since the end of 2025. 🇩🇪🚓🚁"
date: 2026-08-05T15:34:03.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/thwarted-assassination-attempt-on-donaustahl-head-russian-intelligence
tags: [donaustahl, stefan-tumann, germany, russian-intelligence, spying]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Thwarted Assassination Attempt on Donaustahl Head: How German Intelligence Stopped a Russian Operation

![German police detain suspect in assassination attempt on Donaustahl head](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/05/srov-pokusheniya-na-glavu-donaustahl-rossiyskie-specsluzhby/srov-pokusheniya-na-glavu-donaustahl-rossiyskie-specsluzhby-1.webp)

A large-scale operation by Russian intelligence services aimed at eliminating the head of the drone manufacturer Donaustahl has been uncovered in Germany. Thanks to the operational work of German security services and information received from foreign partners, the assassination attempt on Stefan Tumann was prevented even at the preparation stage.

### Target: Head of a Defense Enterprise

Stefan Tumann, who heads the German drone manufacturer, became the object of close attention from intelligence agencies. The investigation established that he was under systematic surveillance with the aim of subsequent elimination. The threat to the executive's life was recorded as early as the end of 2025, however, initial measures did not allow for the full scale of the conspiracy to be revealed.

### Network of Spies: From Spain to North Rhine

During the investigation, law enforcement agencies identified two key suspects. In the spring of 2026, a coordinated operation was carried out to detain the suspects:

    - **Sergey N.** (a Ukrainian citizen) was detained in Spain.

    - **Alla S.** (a Romanian citizen) was arrested in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The investigation reconstructed their actions: from December 2025 to March 2026, the suspects monitored Tumann, photographed his private home and the Donaustahl headquarters, and also collected compromising information from open sources.

### Mistake at the End of 2025

The history of the investigation had a critical moment. Sergey N. was detained as early as the end of 2025, however, due to lack of time, the operatives did not manage to conduct a full analysis of the data from his mobile devices. The suspect was released, after which he left Germany and moved to Spain with his family. Only later, thanks to an in-depth analysis of intercepted data, did German intelligence establish his possible contacts with Russian intelligence services.

### Charges and Current Situation

The General Prosecutor of Germany has officially charged the detainees with espionage and activities on behalf of a foreign intelligence service. The suspects' lawyers have so far refused to comment on the details of the case. Currently, Stefan Tumann is under enhanced security. In his LinkedIn profile, he stated that for security reasons he would temporarily refrain from participating in exhibitions, but plans to return to work in other formats.

### Context: Series of Assassination Attempts on Intelligence Officers

This event is not an isolated fact. In June, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies also prevented an assassination attempt on one of the heads of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, who, according to sources, was Andrey Yusov. According to the version of that investigation, the Russian side promised the executor $100,000 for the murder and planned an attack using an FPV drone. Both incidents indicate an intensification of intelligence services against key figures of the defense industry and intelligence in Europe.