German military officials discussed how they could secretly help Ukraine to damage Russia’s strategic Crimean Bridge, according to leaked audio. They also mentioned that foreign military personnel had already been deployed in the country.
RT is publishing the unedited, 32-minute subtitled recording of the conversation that has caused uproar in Germany and Russia.
The Russian-language transcript and audio file were originally shared by RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan. She claimed that the conversation involving four German officials took place on February 19, adding that the recording had been handed over to her by Russian security officials.
The journalist identified the voices as those of the head of the German Air Force General Ingo Gerhartz; the branch’s deputy chief of staff for operations, Brigadier-General Frank Graefe; and two personnel from the German Space Command Air Operations Center.
The officials discussed potential deliveries of Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine, as well as their operational and targeting details. They also talked about ways of maintaining plausible deniability so Germany could avoid problematic accusations of direct involvement in the conflict.
They also discussed whether it would be possible to destroy the Crimean Bridge with Taurus missiles, concluding that it would be difficult to reach and sturdy enough to withstand many strikes.
According to the leaked audio, Gerhartz also mentioned that “there are a lot of people with an American accent walking around [in Ukraine] in civilian clothes.” The conversation suggested that German officials were aware that the UK had personnel on the ground in Ukraine.
The recording has caused an uproar in both Germany and Russia. The German military has confirmed that the conversation was intercepted, and an investigation into the matter is underway.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has demanded an explanation from Berlin, and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has said the recording leaves no doubt that “Germany is preparing for a war with Russia.”