Germany is investigating an audio recording published in Russian media reported to be a conference call of high-ranking German military officials talking about weapons for Ukraine, sparking concerns of espionage in Germany and calls for clarification from Russia.
A German defense ministry spokesperson said on Saturday that it could not confirm the authenticity of the recording, but the Federal Office for Military Counterintelligence Service was investigating the matter and all necessary steps would be taken.
Margarita Simonyan, a Russian state TV journalist and the head of Russia Today, was the first to publish the audio on Friday, which was also posted on her Telegram channel.
Participants in the call discuss the possible delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Kyiv, which Chancellor Olaf Scholz has publicly so far firmly rejected. They also spoke about the training of Ukrainian soldiers and possible military targets.
Scholz, speaking on a visit to Rome, told journalists the potential leak was “very serious”.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to journalists on Saturday about “cunning plans of the Bundeswehr [German armed forces], which became apparent due to the publication of this audio recording. This is a blatant self-exposure.”
Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the German parliament, told the Handelsblatt newspaper that he considered the reports to be authentic.
“Russia is of course showing how heavily it uses espionage and sabotage as part of the hybrid war. It is to be expected that much more was intercepted and leaked in order to influence decisions, discredit and manipulate people,” he was quoted as saying.
Margarita Simonyan, a Russian state TV journalist and the head of Russia Today, was the first to publish the audio on Friday, which was also posted on her Telegram channel.
Participants in the call discuss the possible delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Kyiv, which Chancellor Olaf Scholz has publicly so far firmly rejected. They also spoke about the training of Ukrainian soldiers and possible military targets.
Responses to the potential leakGermany's military intelligence has launched an investigation into whether internal conversations of high-ranking Bundeswehr soldiers may have been intercepted. This is a recording published by Russian propaganda channels, in which German officers allegedly discuss the details of… pic.twitter.com/JFHdc7ZDTk
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) March 2, 2024
Scholz, speaking on a visit to Rome, told journalists the potential leak was “very serious”.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to journalists on Saturday about “cunning plans of the Bundeswehr [German armed forces], which became apparent due to the publication of this audio recording. This is a blatant self-exposure.”
Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the German parliament, told the Handelsblatt newspaper that he considered the reports to be authentic.
“Russia is of course showing how heavily it uses espionage and sabotage as part of the hybrid war. It is to be expected that much more was intercepted and leaked in order to influence decisions, discredit and manipulate people,” he was quoted as saying.
Source: Reuters
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