German Defense Ministry confirms Russian wiretapping

A 38-minute long conversation between German officers has been intercepted by Russia.

Among other things, the war in Ukraine and how German missiles can be used to destroy the bridge to Crimea are discussed.

– It is a very serious matter, says German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday.

A conversation in which a German officer in the air force openly talked about sensitive information has been intercepted by Russia. This is confirmed by the German Ministry of Defense for ARD capital studio.

Russian state media have published a recording of an internal meeting with air force officers.

In the 38-minute-long recording, the officer talks about, among other things, the American and British military operating on the ground in Ukraine. He also discusses opportunities to train Ukrainian personnel in Germany for the “Taurus” mission.

Another topic that was mentioned was Ukraine’s possible use of the German cruise missiles against a bridge connecting the Russian mainland with Crimea. This is stated by several German media.

“Vulnerable in this area”

After an analysis the recording is deemed to be authentic.

– According to our assessment, a call was intercepted in the air force. We currently cannot say with certainty whether changes have been made to the recorded or written version circulating on social media, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense told ARD Capital Studio.

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the FDP politician and chairman of the defense committee, is calling for better precautions against espionage.

– There must be an end to our naivety, she told the editorial network Germany (RND).

She expresses that cyber-attacks, espionage and disinformation have increased enormously.

– We urgently need to increase our security and counter-espionage because we are obviously vulnerable in this area. Germany’s counterintelligence system is apparently vulnerable, says Strack-Zimmermann.

“Part of Russia’s Hybrid Warfare”

According to Strack-Zimmermann, it is not surprising that calls have been intercepted in this way. She believes that espionage is “part of Russia’s toolbox for hybrid warfare”.

She assesses that the reason why the Russian media publishes the recording is a way for Russia to discourage Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) from giving the mission “Taurus” the green light.

– This incident is quite serious. In terms of security policy, this is almost a disaster because several things have been achieved here that play into Moscow’s hands, says WDR‘s vetted reporter Florian Flade, who reports on national security.