An editor of a Russian news channel recently triggered a sensation by leaking a 38-minute telephonic conversation! After the audio became public, the global community came to know that the European countries were directly backing the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the war with Russia. As expected, this piece of information prompted Moscow to point fingers at the Western European countries.
The telephonic conversations between two German Air Force personnel were first leaked on a platform, called Webex. Russian intelligence hacked the audio, and the editor of the Russian channel released it on the Telegram channel later. In the audio, the German officers were heard discussing weapons for Ukraine and a potential strike by Kiev on a bridge in Crimea. The call prompted the Russian officials to seek an explanation from Berlin. Although Berlin admitted that the conversations took place between German Air Force officers, the Reichstag described the release of the call as an apparent act of eavesdropping, initiating an investigation. In those 38 minutes, the German officials also discussed the use of long-range missiles supplied to Ukraine by France and Britain, apart from talking about the possible delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to the former Soviet Republic.
In that leaked audio, a German Air Force officer was also heard saying that British Armed Forces helped Ukraine to launch Storm Shadow missiles when the Ukrainian Forces targeted the Crimean Bridge (also called Kerch Strait Bridge or Kerch Bridge) that connects the (Russian-held) Crimean Peninsula with mainland Russia. Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz of the German Air Force was on the phone, as he was discussing military strategy in the Russia-Ukraine War with one of his colleagues. He reportedly told the other German officer how the British Army was helping the Ukrainian Forces directly from the battlefield. Lieutenant General Gerhartz further told his colleague over phone that the French Army was not helping Ukraine directly. A senior spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed that it was clear from the conversation how the Western European countries were jointly trying to defeat Russia.
According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov, the call exposed "cunning plans of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces), which became apparent due to the publication of this audio recording". He stressed that "it was a blatant self-exposure". For his part, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated that Berlin was actually preparing to fight a war against Moscow.
Meanwhile, Germany blasted Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin for trying to destabilise the country by leaking the wiretap of a confidential German Army discussion on the Ukraine War. Berlin claimed in the first week of March 2024 that President Putin leaked the tape at a time when the Western European country was facing pressure to supply the Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kiev has repeatedly requested Berlin to supply Taurus missiles that have a range of up to 500km. The acquisition of German missiles would significantly boost Ukraine's capabilities in war against Russia. However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is still hesitant to send these missiles to Kiev, fearing that such a move might escalate the conflict between Ukraine and nuclear-armed Russia. So far, France and Britain have provided Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles (or SCALP) that have a range of about 250km. The Taurus missiles would certainly extend the reach.
Earlier, Chancellor Scholz stated that Germany could not justify actions similar to those of Britain and France in providing long-range missiles to Ukraine and supporting the deployment of this particular weapon system. "This is a very long-range weapon, and what the British and French are doing in terms of targeting and supporting targeting cannot be done in Germany," added the Chancellor.
Interestingly, Britain has denied the Russian claim that Germany has no direct involvement in operating the missiles.
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