Armin Papperger is arguably the most important man in Europe. For it is the factories of his German defence company, Rheinmetall, that are churning out the weaponry for the depleted armouries of Europe and the battlefields of Ukraine.

But there is one disadvantage to being the man who will rearm Europe: Vladimir Putin wants him dead.

During a meeting with Russia’s senior commanders last year, Putin paid a back-handed tribute to Papperger’s ability by denouncing him four times.

The GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service, got the message and plotted to kill the German chief executive.

Papperger may owe the fact that he was alive to turn 62 in January to the skill of American intelligence, which discovered the assassination plan and tipped off its German counterparts.

“It was a serious threat,” said a German security source. “Not an immediate threat with someone actually on the way with a gun, but it was a serious threat, part of Russian activities on German soil.”