Plain text on possible “Taurus” missions in Ukraine: There is little doubt about the authenticity of the alleged Russian recording of an air force conversation. Chancellor Scholz spoke of a “very serious matter”.
The presumably authentic recording is 38 minutes long. The Ministry of Defense officially says at the request of the ARD capital studios: We are checking the facts and confirming neither the authenticity nor the content of the Internet conference, which was published by Russian propaganda channels.
For the WDR-Investigative reporter Florian Flade, however, there is little doubt that the conversation – in which Air Force Chief Ingo Gerhartz also took part and spoke very openly about sensitive information – is real. It’s not yet possible to say whether this applies to the entire recording, “but the way these Bundeswehr officials talk there – that certainly suggests that it’s real. That’s the case at the moment, even with AI means “Don’t portray it like that.”
Spoken very openly about the use of “Taurus”.
The conversation, which apparently took place on February 19th, was about preparing a briefing for Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) about the feasibility of using “Taurus” cruise missiles in Ukraine. The four high-ranking military officials talk very openly, for example, about the feasibility of a targeted destruction of the Kerch Bridge from Crimea to the Russian mainland and other details.
The chairman of the parliamentary control committee, Konstantin von Notz (Greens), speaks of a “highly problematic process if history turns out to be true.” Flade says it differently: “This incident is quite serious. In terms of security policy, one has to say, it is almost a disaster.” The recording achieves several things “that play into Moscow’s hands.”
If the recording were real, the Bundeswehr’s security structure would be exposed as amateurish when it came to sensitive conversations. In addition, the Air Force officers in this case contradict the Chancellor’s statement, who recently refused to deliver “Taurus” to Ukraine because otherwise German soldiers would have to be on site.
NATO partner probably “not very happy”
But the military also revealed other highly sensitive information in the recording. According to Flade, some NATO partners such as Great Britain, the USA and France are probably “not very happy about what they are hearing there: that their military personnel are already present in Ukraine.”
The Ministry of Defense remains silent and is investigating the case.
Chancellor Scholz on the alleged wiretapping case:
“What is reported there is a very serious matter. And that is why it is now being clarified very carefully, very intensively and very quickly – and that is also necessary.”
More to come Publications?
In any case, CDU defense politician Roderich Kiesewetter wrote ARD capital studio, Espionage is part of the Russian toolbox of hybrid warfare. He assumes that further conversations were intercepted and could be made public at a convenient moment for Russia.
It is unclear what consequences the Bundeswehr will draw from the alleged espionage case. The chairwoman of the Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), told the editorial network Germany that our naivety must finally come to an end. Cyber attacks, espionage and disinformation have already increased massively: “We urgently need to increase our security and counter-espionage, because we are obviously vulnerable in this area.”
Georg Schwarte, ARD Berlin, tagesschau, March 2nd, 2024 12:07 p.m