Olaf Scholz announces that Germany is investigating a “very serious” leak within the army

A spokeswoman for the German Defense Ministry confirmed on Saturday that a secret air force conversation regarding the war in Ukraine had been intercepted.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Saturday March 2 that Germany was thoroughly investigating the leak of a recording of army officers. “This is a very serious matter and that is why it is now the subject of a very careful, very thorough and very rapid investigation”, he declared during a visit to Rome. A spokeswoman for the German Defense Ministry confirmed that a secret air force conversation regarding the war in Ukraine had been intercepted.

On Friday, Margarita Simonyan, director of Russia’s state-backed RT channel, posted online a 38-minute audio recording in which she said German army officers discussed an attack on Crimea, on February 19. In the recording, discussions can be heard about the possible use by Ukrainian forces of German-made Taurus missiles and their potential impact.

Exchange on missiles supplied to kyiv

There is particular talk of targeting targets such as a major bridge over the Kerch Strait, which connects mainland Russia to Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014. Discussions also include the use of missiles supplied to Kiev by the France and Great Britain. “We are unable to say with certainty whether any changes have been made to the recorded or transcribed version circulating on social media.”nevertheless clarified the spokesperson for the German Ministry of Defense to AFP.

kyiv has long demanded that Germany provide it with Taurus missiles, which can hit targets up to 500 km away. Olaf Scholz has so far refused to send these missiles, fearing that it would lead to an escalation of the conflict.

In Moscow, the spokesperson for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova, asked “quick explanations from Germany” on this matter. “Any attempt to avoid answering questions will be considered an admission of guilt”did she say.