- According to the WSJ report, Russian spies recorded conversations between German military leaders.
- Officials were discussing plans to send Ukrainian missiles that could destroy bridges in Crimea.
- That very purpose is one of the main reasons why Germany is reluctant to provide missiles.
Leaked audio obtained by Russian spies and later broadcast by Russian state news network RT on Friday shows senior German officials discussing possible plans to send long-range missiles to Ukraine that could destroy vital Crimean bridges. It shows that
German officials confirmed to the Wall Street Journal the authenticity of the audio.
The audio was about a meeting held in February when the head of the Luftwaffe, General Ingo Gerhardts, gathered his aides to prepare a presentation to the defense minister. The paper reports that the presentation will outline how Germany could deliver Taurus long-range guided missiles to Ukraine and how many missiles would be needed to destroy the Kerch Bridge. It is said that it was.
Missiles were one of Ukraine's important requests to Germany. European missile maker MBDA says Taurus has a long range of about 310 miles, stealth capabilities that allow it to evade radar detection, and the ability to target more complex infrastructure such as bridges.
But this is also the main reason why German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is reluctant to provide weapons to Ukraine – much to the dissatisfaction of some senior officials in Scholz's cabinet and members of the conservative opposition.
Scholz said Monday at a conference hosted by the German news agency dpa that the Taurus is a “very wide-ranging weapon,” according to the Associated Press. The prime minister insisted the weapons system was unnecessary and expressed concern it could escalate the war.
The leaked audio does not confirm that Germany intended to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Analysts said the leak could have further jeopardized Ukraine's ability to obtain weapons, the paper said.
In the conversation, military officials discussed how the Taurus would be delivered to Ukraine, how long it would take to train Ukrainian soldiers to operate the missile, how many missiles Germany should send, and more. The newspaper reported that the company was considering
Officials also said the Taurus could destroy bridges in Crimea, a key supply route for Russia, and that it would take 10 to 20 missiles to evade Russian defense systems and destroy infrastructure, according to the report. He could be heard admitting that he needed it.
“There's no real reason why we can't do this. It depends on the political red line,” Gerhardts can be heard saying in the audio, according to the Journal. The general was also heard saying that Germany should not fire more than 100 missiles because it would not help Ukraine pursue them with ground strikes, according to the report.
Following the audio leak, the Kremlin expressed anger at Germany.
“We will ask Germany for an explanation,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian state news agency TASS. She added: “Any attempt to avoid answering questions will be considered an admission of guilt.”
Spokespeople for Germany's Defense Ministry and Chancellor's Office did not respond to requests for comment sent over the weekend.
