Videoconference conversation between four people, including the Chief of the Air Force
Russian state media reports… Provincial government investigation
Russian Medvedev: “獨 has become an enemy again”
Taurus, the weapon Ukraine wanted
Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the Russian state media ‘RT’, released a recording of a high-ranking German military official saying, “Germany provided Ukraine with self-developed Taurus long-range missiles and discussed attacking the Crimean Bridge.” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian National Security Council, immediately strongly opposed the move, saying, “Germany has become the enemy of Russia.” German authorities began an investigation into the leak, suspecting Russian wiretapping.
Ukraine has been requesting support from Germany for the long-range air-to-ground guided missile Taurus since May of last year, ahead of the major counteroffensive. However, it has not yet been concluded due to German concerns that missile support could mean direct combat with Russia. In this situation, there is an analysis that the Russian state media’s release of the recording is a ploy by Russia not only to block missile support but also to divide major Western countries that have supported Ukraine since the outbreak of the war.
Editor-in-chief Simonyan released about 38 minutes of recording on Telegram on the 1st without disclosing the source. In the recording, four people, including Germany’s Bundeswehr Chief of Staff Ingo Gerharz, Brigadier General Frank Grepe, and two officers, said on the video conference platform ‘WebEx’ on the 19th of last month, “The Crimean Bridge is a very narrow target, so it is difficult to hit, but we will use the Taurus.” We had a conversation saying, “It is possible if you do it.”
In particular, Chief of Staff Gerharz said that German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was carefully considering providing Taurus support to Ukraine and that he should “be prepared to brief the minister on the political and technical issues (various surrounding support).”
The Crimean Bridge connects mainland Russia with the Crimean Peninsula in southern Ukraine, which Russia forcibly annexed in 2014. President Putin uses this bridge as a symbol to show off his accomplishments, so it is also called ‘Putin’s Pride.’
In this situation, it is analyzed that it was impossible for the editor-in-chief of the state-run media, who is no different from the trumpeter of the Putin regime, to release the recording without prior communication with the Russian authorities. “We demand an explanation from Germany,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. “If you avoid answering, it will be considered an admission of guilt,” she protested. Vice Chairman Medvedev strongly criticized Germany, saying, “Germany has turned into an enemy again,” as if aware of the various wars that the two countries fought, including World War II.
The German Ministry of Defense acknowledged on the 2nd that the discussion was true, saying, “Conversations within the Air Force were wiretapped.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, “We are conducting a high-intensity investigation” and said they would determine the circumstances surrounding the leak.
Taurus is a long-range missile with a range of up to 500 km. It can be transported by fighter planes from major Western countries such as the US, UK, and France. Ukraine has wanted these missiles ever since the Russian invasion. However, support was not provided due to opposition from the Scholz administration, which was concerned that the war in Ukraine could expand to all North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries, including Germany, and that the Russian military could collect the missile parts and reverse engineer them.
Accordingly, some in Germany analyze that this is Russia’s typical ‘hybrid tactic’ (a tactic that combines conventional weapons with unconventional weapons such as hacking and fake news) aimed at simultaneously supporting missiles and dividing the West. Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the right-wing Christian Democratic Party and a former colonel in the Bundeswehr, argued, “This is an attempt to block support for Taurus and divide Germany, Britain, France, etc.” In particular, they may have targeted a situation where the West shows signs of rift, such as Germany rushing to draw a line after French President Emmanuel Macron recently said that he might consider sending troops directly to Ukraine.
Tensions surrounding the Crimean Peninsula are also increasing. According to Reuters, several powerful explosions were reported near the port of Feodosiya on the Crimean Peninsula on the 3rd. Road traffic in the area was also temporarily blocked.
Paris =
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.