Germany has been wiretapped by Russian intelligence, according to the German Ministry of Defense. The military conversation concerned a possible attack on Crimea.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz takes the task seriously.
The editor-in-chief of Russian state broadcaster ET has released a recording of what she said was a conversation between German officers about a possible attack on the bridge connecting Crimea to the Russian mainland. The 38-minute long audio recording is said to have been made on February 19.
The German military is said to have discussed how German long-range robots could be used in the war, and among the targets the bridge over the Kerch Strait was specifically mentioned, the Russian media company claims.
“Very serious”
Chancellor Scholz reacted strongly when he heard about the recording during a visit to Vatican City on Saturday.
– What is being reported is of a very serious nature and that is why this is being investigated very carefully, very intensively and very quickly, reports the German news agency DPA.
The German Defense Ministry confirmed later on Saturday that the secret conversation had been intercepted by Russia, and that information had been published on social media.
– According to our assessment, a conversation within the air force has been intercepted. We cannot say at this time whether changes have been made to the recorded or the transcribed version of (the conversation) circulating on social media,” a department spokesperson said.
No ground troops
The move is being made at the same time as discussions are ongoing whether Germany should supply long-range robots of the Taurus type, which can reach targets 50 miles from launch pads, to Ukraine. The German government has opposed exporting the robot, most recently in a comment from Scholz last week.
France and the UK have supplied two types of robots – Scalp and Storm Shadow – with a range of 25 miles. In a somewhat difficult to interpret wording, Scholz said that “target acquisition and support for hitting targets cannot be done in Germany” regarding the Taurus robot.
Germany is the second largest arms supplier to Ukraine, after the United States. Scholz emphasizes the importance of military support, while keeping Germany and NATO out of the war. He completely writes off German troop presence in Ukraine.