The Kremlin said a purported recording of German military discussions showed the German armed forces discussing plans to launch an attack on Russian territory, and questioned whether Chancellor Olaf Scholz was in control of the situation in his country.
Last week, Russian media released an audio recording of a meeting of senior German military officials discussing arms for Ukraine and a potential Ukrainian attack on a bridge in Crimea, prompting Russian officials to demand an explanation.
“The recording itself indicates that within the Bundeswehr there is a substantive and concrete discussion about plans to carry out an attack on Russian territory. This does not require any legal interpretation. Everything here is more than obvious,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“Here we need to find out whether the Bundeswehr is doing this on its own initiative. Then the question arises as to how much the Bundeswehr is under control and how much Scholz controls the situation? Or is it part of the policy of the German government?”, said Peskov.
He added that both scenarios are “very bad. Both of them once again emphasize the direct involvement of the countries of the collective West in the conflict over Ukraine.”
Germany said it was investigating what it called an apparent act of Russian wiretapping.
“The incident is much more than the interception and publication of conversations. It is part of the information war that Putin is waging,” Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.
“It’s a hybrid attack with misinformation. It’s about division. It’s about undermining our unity,” he said.
Germany is among the NATO countries that have supplied weapons to Ukraine, including tanks. Russia accuses what it calls the “collective West” of using Ukraine to wage a proxy war against it. NATO claims it is helping Kiev defend itself against a Russian attack.
Russia summoned the German ambassador to demand an explanation for the military talks on the tape. Diplomat Aleksander Graf Lambsdorf left the foreign ministry without speaking to reporters after attending the meeting, Fena news agency writes.
