An 18-year-old Russian national has been arrested in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, which borders Berlin, on suspicion of planning a major politically motivated act of violence that would endanger the state, according to local Brandenburg police. According to AFP, the arrest occurred on February 20th in the Dahme-Spreewald district, involving federal police, Brandenburg’s criminal investigation office, Berlin police, and special forces. On February 21, an administrative court in Brandenburg a der Havel issued a warrant for the suspect’s arrest.

Meanwhile, Garman newspaper Der Tagesspiegel claims that the man was caught at Berlin Brandenburg Airport while attempting to flee the country. However, journalists believe he did not intend to permanently leave Germany. The Israeli embassy was considered to be the intended target of the attack. According to the publication, the man, a Chechen native living in Potsdam, was inspired by Islamist ideology and planned to target the Israeli Embassy in Berlin. The dpa agency reported similar information, citing security sources. “According to the investigation, the Chechen planned to continue preparations for an attack abroad and to acquire necessary means for it,” a report from Der Tagesspiegel states. He does not appear to have previously been investigated by the police for involvement in violent crimes.

As of the time of publication, the Israeli embassy has not provided any official comment on the matter.