armed forces
Circles: Published Luftwaffe conversation is authentic
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected a possible delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine (archive photo). photo
© Bundeswehr/Bundeswehr/dpa
A Russian propagandist publishes a recording that apparently comes from a confidential conversation between German Air Force officers. Security politicians are alarmed.
The recording published in Russia According to information from the German Press Agency, the Bundeswehr meeting is real. The dpa learned that the conversation was authentic and took place. Accordingly, the Webex platform was used during the meeting.
Green security politician Konstantin von Notz called for clarification. “If this story turns out to be true, it would be a highly problematic process,” said the chairman of the Bundestag’s Parliamentary Control Committee to the Editorial Network Germany (RND). “The question arises as to whether this is a one-off event or a structural security problem. I expect all background information to be clarified immediately.”
The head of the Russian state broadcaster RT, Margarita Simonjan, published an audio recording of the approximately 30-minute conversation on Friday, which may have been intercepted. In it, senior Air Force officers can be heard discussing the theoretical possibilities of using German Taurus cruise missiles by Ukraine.
A spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of Defense said on Friday evening that they were checking whether communications within the Air Force had been intercepted. The military counterintelligence service has “introduced all necessary measures.” “We cannot say anything about the content of the communication that was apparently intercepted.”
Details on the Taurus debate and explosive statements about allies
Air Force Inspector Ingo Gerhartz, among others, is said to have taken part in the conversation; it is said to have served as preparation for a briefing for Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD). The exchange heard in the audio file addresses, among other things, the question of whether Taurus cruise missiles would technically be theoretically capable of destroying the bridge built by Russia to the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed in violation of international law. Another point in the discussion is whether Ukraine could carry out the shelling without the participation of the Bundeswehr. However, it can also be heard in the recording that there is no green light at the political level for the delivery of the cruise missiles demanded by Kiev.
What is explosive is that there is talk of the British having “a few people on site” in connection with the use of their Storm Shadow cruise missiles delivered to Ukraine. There had just been anger in Great Britain over a statement made by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which some interpreted as an indiscretion. “What the British and French are doing in terms of target control and the accompaniment of target control cannot be done in Germany,” said the SPD politician. He left it open what exactly he meant by that. However, the sentence was understood by some as an indication that the French and British would support the control of their Storm Shadow and Scalp cruise missiles, which were delivered to Ukraine, with their own forces. A spokesman for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak immediately denied this: “Ukraine’s use of the Storm Shadow long-range missile system and the target selection process are the responsibility of the Ukrainian armed forces.”
Kiesewetter: Russia wants to stop Taurus deliveries
The CDU defense expert Roderich Kiesewetter told ZDF with regard to the publication: “One must assume that the conversation was specifically leaked by Russia at this point in time with a specific intention. This can only be a Taurus delivery through Germany to prevent.” Russia wants to deter Scholz by “publicly showing how deeply Russia has already clarified the German preparations for the decision.” Kiesewetter also suspected: “This Bundeswehr leak may be a Russian attempt to steer the public debate away from the Wirecard revelations and the funeral of Alexei Navalny.”
Chancellor Scholz has emphasized several times that he is against the delivery of Taurus missiles to Ukraine, which Kiev has repeatedly demanded. He justified this with the danger that Germany could be drawn into the war of aggression started by Russia.
The Union’s defense policy spokesman, Florian Hahn, now demanded that Scholz explain himself to the Bundestag’s Defense Committee. From his point of view, the alleged Air Force conversation underlines that a use of Taurus by the Ukrainians would be possible even without Bundeswehr personnel on site. “If the recording is real, the Chancellor’s statements from this week are not only inappropriate, but false,” the CSU politician told the German Press Agency. Minister Pistorius was explicitly informed about the Taurus, including its possible uses. “It is therefore hard to imagine that Scholz knew nothing about this military assessment.” Although he considers forward-looking military planning to be quite normal, clarification is required here. “I expect Chancellor Scholz to speak on this in the Defense Committee.”
Strack-Zimmermann warns against naivety in counterintelligence
The FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann calls for better precautions against espionage. “Our naivety must finally come to an end,” said the chairwoman of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag to the Editorial Network Germany (RND). Cyber attacks, espionage and disinformation have already increased massively today. “We urgently need to increase our security and counterintelligence because we are obviously vulnerable in this area.”
Strack-Zimmermann told the RND that espionage is “part of Russia’s toolbox of hybrid warfare.” It is neither surprising nor surprising that conversations are being intercepted. “It was just a matter of time before it became public.”