German Military Leak: Probe into Secret Ukraine War Talks

Defense News ,Germany :-  Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised a swift investigation into a leaked recording of private discussions among high-ranking German military officials regarding the Ukraine war. The German military acknowledged the authenticity of the leaked recording but couldn't confirm if it had been edited.

Germany's Defense Ministry confirmed on Saturday that the leaked recording, shared by Russian state media, captured a confidential conversation among Bundeswehr officers discussing the Ukraine conflict. A ministry spokesperson stated that they are currently unable to determine if any alterations were made to the circulated version on social media.

The head of Russian state broadcaster RT, Margarita Simonyan, released an audio recording on Friday, claiming it featured German officers, including Air Force Chief Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the situation "very serious" and assured a thorough and speedy investigation during his visit to Rome.

The leaked audio includes discussions about the potential use of Taurus cruise missiles to destroy a bridge, possibly referring to the bridge connecting Russian-occupied Crimea to the Russian mainland over the Kerch Strait. The conversation, recorded from a video conference among Luftwaffe officers discussing Russia's war in Ukraine, also explores ways German officers could provide targeting information to Ukrainians without direct involvement.

The audio leak also mentions the presence of British individuals "on the ground" related to the deployment of Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine. According to reports, the virtual meeting did not utilize a secure line but relied on the Webex platform, as disclosed by German outlet Der Spiegel.