A spy scandal broke out in Germany involving wiretapping of conversations between Bundeswehr officers.
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Russian propagandists published a recording of allegedly intercepted conversations between Bundeswehr officers, where they discussed possible attacks on the bridge across the Kerch Strait.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to provide clarification regarding the possible eavesdropping by Russian intelligence services. He said it was a “very serious matter.”
Therefore, now we need to find out very carefully, very intensively and very quickly – this is also necessary,” Scholz added.
At the same time, the authenticity of the recording, which is being promoted by Russian propaganda, has not yet been confirmed, but neither has it been refuted by German officials. However, a number of media outlets, citing their own sources, claim that the conversation actually took place.
In an audio recording of a video conference posted on social media by Margarita Simonyan, head of the Russian state propaganda channel RT, officers discuss how missiles could hit the Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia with Crimea, which it occupied in 2014.
Simonyan said the 38-minute audio recording she released Friday included Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz. Simonyan said that this is proof that Germany is planning attacks on Crimea.
The leak of a German military conversation regarding the Taurus missile attack on the Crimean Bridge could worsen Germany’s relations with other NATO partners, the Wall Street Journal wrote.
Officials familiar with the German investigation into the leaked audio recordings said that WebEx, the system used to hold the conference between German officials, is widely used by the military and other sensitive departments of the German government.
This case should be a wake-up call,” said one of the officials.
The recording published by the Russians became a “great propaganda victory” for them, the publication notes. Politicians and analysts say the leak makes it less likely that Germany will provide Ukraine with the weapons.
German officers on the recording noted that they had analyzed in great detail how to attack the Crimean Bridge, and said that it would take 10 to 20 Taurus missiles to bypass Russian air defenses and destroy it. The interlocutors also discussed how they could teach Ukrainians to use this system on their own.
Germany has about 600 Taurus missiles in service, of which about 500 are considered combat-ready. General Gerhartz, under whose leadership the conversation took place, said that Germany can afford to supply Ukraine with 100 missiles, and that providing more “does not make sense, since weapons cannot have a significant impact on the battlefield.” He said that Ukraine “doesn’t have enough troops to conquer or even hold territory.”
Destroying the bridge, Gerhartz said, would be “strategically and politically important, but Ukraine would likely be unable to continue its ground offensive.”
All this information, which has become public, could undermine the trust of other NATO members in Germany, the WSJ believes.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.