Explosive audio recording

Taurus delivery: Did the Russians wiretap officers?

Russian propagandists published an audio recording allegedly from Germany - it is about possible arms deliveries for Ukraine.(Bild: The Associated Press)

An explosive audio recording is causing a stir in Germany: alleged passages of a conversation between German officers about a possible Taurus deployment in Ukraine have surfaced in Russia. The German Ministry of Defense is now investigating suspected espionage.

The alleged recording of an internal meeting of air force officers was published by Russian propaganda channels - it is likely to be an authentic recording, according to information from the Ministry of Defense cited by "Der Spiegel".

"The Federal Office for the Military Counterintelligence Service (BAMAD) has initiated all necessary measures," said a spokeswoman for Defense Minister Boris Pistorius regarding the possible Bundeswehr mishap.

No political green light
Among other things, the recording is said to deal with the question of whether Taurus missiles would theoretically be technically capable of destroying the bridge built by Russia to the Crimean peninsula. Another point of discussion is whether Ukraine could carry out the shelling without the involvement of the German Armed Forces. However, it can also be heard in the recording that there is no green light for the operation at a political level.

Russia locates "admission of guilt"
 Following the allegedly intercepted conversation, the Russian Foreign Ministry demanded an explanation from the German government. "Attempts to get around answers are seen as an admission of guilt," wrote spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on her Telegram channel. At the same time, Margarita Simonjan, head of the Russian state broadcaster RT, published an audio recording of the approximately 30-minute conversation. She did not say how Simonjan obtained the recordings.

Scholz increasinglyin trouble
 The tape also puts German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in trouble - he had rejected a possible Taurus delivery to Ukraine on the grounds that German soldiers were needed in Ukraine to fire the cruise missiles. The generals in the recording, on the other hand, assume that Ukraine could also operate them on its own.

The recording that has now emerged allows two possible conclusions to be drawn: either Scholz does not trust Ukraine sufficiently and is using the allegedly necessary presence of German soldiers as a reason for his refusal, or he is simply telling the truth. In both cases, this does not put the Chancellor in a particularly good light.

Has the Chancellor betrayed secret information?
Scholz's justification for his no vote has also recently caused anger in the UK. "What the British and French are doing in terms of target management and support for target management cannot be done in Germany," said the Chancellor. He left open what exactly he meant by this.

However, the sentence was taken by some as an indication that the French and British would support the control of the Storm Shadow and Scalp cruise missiles supplied to Ukraine with their own forces.