Russian intelligence services targeted Stefan Tuman, chief executive and lead engineer of German drone startup Donaustahl, in an alleged assassination plot carried out by disposable proxy agents, according to an internal document from Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), reviewed by the newspaper Die Zeit.
German Defense Startups Under Surveillance by Russian Proxies
The BfV report details how low-level operatives monitored Tuman, whose company has supplied combat drones and electronics to Ukrainian forces since 2023. According to Die Zeit, German security services received warnings from a foreign intelligence partner in December 2025 placing Tuman in a high-risk threat category. Shortly after, Bavarian authorities arrested a man identified as Sergei N., who had been conducting surveillance outside the chief executive’s residence. Investigators later learned from mobile phone data that Sergei N. maintained direct contact with Russian handlers and even scouted Tuman’s father to track the engineer’s location. German authorities eventually arrested Sergei N. in Spain in March 2026 under a warrant specifying suspicion of espionage, while a second disposable operative, a Romanian national named Alla S., continued surveillance operations in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Did you know?
According to security findings reported by Die Zeit, Russian intelligence agencies have increasingly recruited vulnerable individuals with low incomes and criminal histories via messaging apps to carry out localized surveillance, arson, and sabotage across Europe.
Expanding Hybrid Warfare Tactics Across Europe
The reliance on low-cost disposable operatives reflects a broader shift in Russian strategy following the loss of numerous traditional intelligence officers in Europe since the war against Ukraine began. These proxy agents, frequently recruited from the pool of Ukrainian refugees displaced within European Union member states, receive financial compensation to execute high-risk reconnaissance and disruption tasks. Vladimir Putin increasingly relies on hybrid warfare to maintain plausible deniability while testing Western political and military reactions, according to Jack Jarmon, a former USAID technical adviser to the Russian government in the 1990s who currently serves on the editorial board of PostPravda.info.
Tuman, who operates under enhanced security protocols, has maintained a public stance against Russian military aggression. In a post on LinkedIn, Tuman wrote that Russia seeks the destruction of the West and declared that he intends to direct all his efforts against those ambitions. He also shared a notice from the prosecuting authority concerning his case, adding a direct message to Moscow subordinates stating they would not break him.
Parallel Attacks on Drone Manufacturers Highlight Growing Risks
The threat extends beyond Donaustahl, as German investigators monitor at least one other defense firm whose chief executive may face similar dangers. The focus on drone developers mirrors violent incidents reported inside Russia, where two executives heading unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturing firms faced targeted attacks within a single week. On July 29, an assailant shot at Andrei Cherezov, executive director of Ovod FPV drone manufacturer, at his apartment building entrance in Tula, leaving him hospitalized. Simultaneously, Vladimir Tkachuk, head of the Uraldrone plant producing Upyr drones, sustained severe injuries when his vehicle exploded in the Sverdlovsk region settlement of Bolshoy Istok near Yekaterinburg, killing his accompanying security guard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Stefan Tuman?
Stefan Tuman is the chief executive and lead engineer of Donaustahl, a German startup that has manufactured combat drones and electronics for Ukrainian forces since 2023.
Why was Stefan Tuman targeted by Russian intelligence?
According to documents from Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution reviewed by Die Zeit, Tuman was targeted due to his leadership of a defense firm supplying Ukraine and his outspoken public criticism of Russian military aggression.
What are disposable proxy agents in hybrid warfare?
As described in security assessments reported by Die Zeit, these are non-professional operatives—often recruited via messaging apps from vulnerable populations—used by Russian intelligence to conduct low-cost surveillance, arson, and sabotage while maintaining plausible deniability.
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