German authorities investigate suspected Russian-linked weapons cache near Berlin - Spiegel

The cache, containing several firearms and ammunition, was discovered last summer in a wooded area near the German capital.

Police specialists secretly rendered the weapons unusable before returning them to the cache and placing the site under surveillance for several months. No one came to retrieve the weapons, according to Spiegel.

German federal prosecutors in Karlsruhe opened an investigation on suspicion of preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state. A suspect was later detained in Romania.

Investigators have found evidence suggesting that the weapons cache may have been created on behalf of Russian intelligence services, according to Spiegel.

Authorities are also examining a possible connection between the cache and a suspected Russian sabotage campaign targeting logistics routes used to support Ukraine.

Polish authorities last year detained several people suspected of sending parcels containing incendiary devices or detonators. Some of the suspects allegedly operated from Romania.

Investigators believe the devices could have been detonated remotely or manually during transportation, potentially targeting vehicles, cargo aircraft or logistics centers.

Russia has faced repeated accusations of conducting sabotage and other covert operations across Europe since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.