There are severe concerns regarding the security of German military communications after a leaked audio recording of senior German army officers discussing the conflict in Ukraine sparked a diplomatic backlash. According to Russia, the recording demonstrates the direct involvement of Western nations in the Ukrainian crisis.
Content of the Intercept
Margarita Simonyan, the head of Russia’s state-backed RT channel, claimed to be recording German army officers discussing possible strikes on Crimea for 38 minutes, which she uploaded on Telegram on March 1. According to Simonyan, three senior Bundeswehr officers and Air Force Chief Ingo Gerhartz had a conversation on February 19. Discussions regarding the potential use of German-made weapons by Ukrainian forces are audible on the recording. Discussions regarding the probable impact and likely employment of German-made Taurus missiles by Ukrainian forces are audible in the recording. Germany has been asked by Kyiv for a long time to supply Taurus missiles, which have a 500-kilometre range. However, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has declined to launch the missiles thus far because of concern that doing so might cause the crisis to worsen.
The Bundeswehr commanders are heard on the recording debating several topics, including the precise number of Taurus missiles that may be used. They wondered at one point if the missiles could be used to destroy a crucial bridge that crosses the Kerch Strait and connects Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, to the Russian mainland. The topic of long-range missiles supplied to Ukraine by France and Britain is also discussed, and one of the officers refers to ground-based British personnel. Although it declined to comment on operational issues, the British Prime Minister’s Office stated that “a small number of personnel” are in Ukraine to support Ukrainian forces, including medics, and to provide security for diplomats. “Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow (missile) and its targeting processes are the business of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the British Defence Ministry states. Additionally, according to a diplomatic source in Ukraine, “all the European secret services are present in Ukraine—but they are not combat units.” The source went on to say that “experts are on the ground” to assist with training and usage when ally nations arm Ukraine.
Security Breach and Speculation
WebEx, a well-liked open platform for audio and video conferences, was used for the meeting. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius claims that the Bundeswehr is authorised to utilise the venue for certain meetings as long as additional security is in place. According to Pistorius, it’s possible that the participants utilised the incorrect platform or security settings for this kind of talk. Though it’s unclear how opposition conservatives in Germany Roderich Kiesewetter has speculated that a Russian participant would have had direct access to the conference. For Russia’s advantage, several such talks will undoubtedly have been recorded and may be released at a later time, Kiesewetter told German radio station ZDF.
Implications and Reactions
The scandal shows a security lapse that Scholz himself called “very serious” and runs the risk of causing rifts with France and Britain. The president of the parliamentary group of the opposition conservatives, Thorsten Frei, told Welt TV that the intercept casts doubt on Germany’s dependability. The discussion also calls into question Scholz’s stated justifications for declining to transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine. According to Scholz, Germany could not defend its decision to support the deployment of long-range missiles in Ukraine in line with the actions of the United Kingdom and France. However, the audio tape that was leaked suggests that direct assistance from German soldiers was not necessary for the operation of Taurus missiles.
Russian Response and German Stance
On Monday, the Kremlin stated that the recording’s substance demonstrated that Western nations. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, “the recording itself suggests that the Bundeswehr is discussing substantive and specifically plans to strike Russian territory.” Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of the Security Council and a former president of Russia, stated on Telegram that “Germany is preparing for war with Russia.” German specialists claim that Russia would already be aware of nearly everything discussed in the recording. The head of Germany’s parliament’s defence committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, claimed that Moscow had purposefully leaked the tape to prevent Germany from supplying Ukraine with Taurus missiles.
References:
- https://www.dw.com/en/germany-taurus-ukraine-dispute-rolls-on-after-russian-leak/a-68494806
- https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2024/03/04/germany-russia-spar-over-a-leaked-audio-on-missiles-for-ukraine/
Balaji Subramanian 
Aayush Pal 
Viswapramod C