"Russia and Germany are at war"

In an exclusive interview with Paul Ronzheimer of the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, published on Tuesday as part of a podcast episode, Thumann rejected the term “hybrid war,” which EU leaders use to describe various incidents across Europe attributed to Russia.

“Germany and Russia are at war,” he stressed.

The warning comes as Berlin has said that Russia’s intelligence services were behind incidents involving drones carrying explosives that were found at Leipzig Airport in early August.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, according to Brussels-based outlet Politico, is preparing to blame Moscow for the attempted drone attack in Leipzig and announce “comprehensive” sanctions. More stringent diplomatic measures are also being considered, including declaring the Russian ambassador persona non grata.

Meanwhile, Thumann’s company, Donau Stahl, supplies combat drones to Ukraine, and Thumann himself said he has been forced to live under constant protection after authorities uncovered an alleged Russian intelligence plot to poison him in 2025.

“Yes, it comes from Russia. And yes, it is very serious — your life is at risk,” he said he was told. Within days, a suspected low-level operative was detained.

Thumann said he has turned official locations into “decoys” under tight surveillance — places deliberately designed to lure hostile actors into a trap. “The low-level operatives were there only to find out where I was,” he added. “Then the assassination by poisoning was supposed to take place.”

The threat turned his life upside down. Thumann said he now lives at undisclosed locations under the protection of bodyguards, has not seen his family for months, and has prepared a will and medical directives in case he is killed.