Kremlin suggests German leak implicates West in Ukraine

The Kremlin criticized leaked discussions among German officials about potential military strikes on Crimea, claiming it shows the active involvement of Western nations in the Ukraine conflict. The leak has placed Berlin in an awkward position, especially as it faces calls to send Taurus missiles to Kyiv, which is dealing with a shortage of ammunition.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the leaked discussions underscore the West’s direct role in the Ukraine war. The conversation, lasting 38 minutes between German military personnel, was shared on Russian social media platforms. It involved discussions about the potential deployment of German Taurus missiles in Ukraine and their impact on strategic locations like the bridge over the Kerch strait, connecting Russia to the annexed Crimea.

Germany acknowledged the leak, suggesting it might be an intercepted conversation from the air force division, though it couldn’t confirm if the audio was altered.

Peskov claimed the discussions indicate that the German military is actively planning strikes on Russian soil. This comes as Germany’s ambassador to Russia, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, was reported to have been summoned to Moscow’s foreign ministry, though Germany described the visit as a pre-scheduled meeting.

Germany rebuffed the implications of the leak, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of attempting to sow discord. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius expressed hope that Putin’s efforts to destabilize Germany would not succeed and awaited the outcome of a military investigation into the leak before drawing any conclusions.

Ukraine has been pressing Germany for Taurus missiles, capable of hitting targets 500 kilometers away, to bolster its defense against Russia’s advances. However, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has resisted these requests, concerned about escalating the conflict with nuclear-armed Russia.

Despite the urgent need for military support on the Ukrainian frontlines, Scholz maintained his stance against sending long-range missiles to Ukraine, contrasting the support provided by France and Britain with their SCALP or Storm Shadow missiles.

The leaked conversation challenges Scholz’s reasons for withholding the Taurus missiles from Ukraine. Meanwhile, Pistorius cautioned that the leak is part of Putin’s broader information warfare strategy, urging caution against falling for Putin’s tactics.