The Chairman of the Parliamentary Control Committee of the Bundestag, Konstantin von Notz, called for an investigation into reports that Russia allegedly intercepted communications between German air force generals. The German Ministry of Defense admitted the leak of a conversation between Bundeswehr officers.
National and international television news service Tagesschau quotes von Notz:
“If this story turns out to be true, it will be a very problematic process. The question arises: is this a one-time event or is this a structural security problem. I expect that all preliminary information will be clarified immediately.”
Russian media reported a possible interception of a conversation about the supply of Taurus missiles. Deputy Chairman of the Bundestag Intelligence Control Committee Roderich Kiesewetter believes that reports about Russia intercepting air force negotiations are reliable, as he said in an interview with Handelsblatt:
“Russia is certainly demonstrating how actively it uses espionage and sabotage as part of its hybrid warfare. Predictably, many more have been intercepted and leaked for the purpose of influencing decisions, discrediting and manipulating people.”
The German Ministry of Defense has initiated an investigation into whether conversations of air force representatives who, according to Russian media, discussed the bombing of the Crimean Bridge with Taurus missiles, were intercepted.
The German Ministry of Defense later confirmed the interception of an internal conversation between Air Force officers, but could not say whether changes were made to the original version before publication. reports n-tv, quoting a spokesman for the German Ministry of Defense:
“We assess that an Air Force conversation was intercepted. We cannot now say with certainty whether changes were made to the recorded or written version that is being circulated on social media.”
Let us recall that this week German Chancellor Olaf Scholz once again ruled out sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine, arguing that this would mean that Germany would become a party to the war with Russia. He said that Germany could not give Ukraine “weapons with a range of 500 km, which, if used incorrectly, could reach a target in Moscow.”
After a recording of an internal conversation between German air force officers was published in Russia, Green security politician Agnieszka Brugger warned of further Russian sabotage activities in the coming months. She said this in interview Spiegel:
“The events of the last few days once again show how Vladimir Putin is trying to exert a massive negative influence on our open society, especially in Germany, through disinformation, destabilization and espionage. This threat will only increase in this year, full of important elections, so we must It is much better to prepare for it in politics, media and society. As a society, we must become more resilient, strong and secure. It is right that the Military Counterintelligence Service is processing and reviewing this incident. At the same time, regardless of this, it is clear that Communication within the federal government, public authorities and the Bundeswehr must be as secure as possible.”
In recordings released Friday, senior German air force officers discussed theoretical uses for the Taurus cruise missile. Apparently they communicated via the Webex platform. The ministry, however, did not clarify whether Luftwaffe officers actually discussed possible TAURUS strikes on the Crimean Bridge. German Chancellor Scholz previously said that the leaked military conversation was being clarified. He called the matter “very serious” and stressed that “this issue is being clarified very carefully, very intensively and very quickly.” At the same time, the dpa agency reported that the recording of the conversation published by a number of Russian media was genuine.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded an explanation from Germany, writes D.W. “Attempts to avoid answering questions will be considered as an admission of guilt,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
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