The story so far: On March 5, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius informed reporters in Berlin that Russian secret services had hacked into an unsecured phone line at a Singapore hotel to join a conference call between high-ranking German air force officers and leaked it to the public. A probe has been ordered into the incident.
Mr. Pistorius said that participants on the call had not “adhered to the secure dialing procedure as intended.” Calling the hacking a “chance hit as part of a scattered approach” by Russia, Germany has downplayed the leak as an “individual mistake by one of the officers.”
What was discussed on leaked phone call?
A 38-minute audio clip from the call was first posted by Russian broadcaster RT’s editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan on March 1 on the messaging platform Telegram.
She claimed that a phone call between German Air Force chief Lieutenant-General Ingo Gerhartz and three other officers — Brigadier-General Frank Graefe and other staffers named Fenske and Frohstedte — was intercepted by Russian army officials. In the call they are allegedly heard discussing a potential strike by Ukraine on the Crimea bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.
In the conversation, which allegedly took place on February 19 according to Moscow Times, the German officers were discussing the possible use of German-made Taurus missiles and if they could hit a key bridge over the Kerch Strait linking Russia and Crimea. Destruction of the bridge would result in disruption of a key supply route for Russia— a huge win for Ukraine.
The officers also discussed how German soldiers would be needed for early delivery and rapid deployment of Taurus missiles to Kyiv and that training Ukrainian soldiers to deploy the missiles would take months.
File photo: A Taurus cruise missile displayed during a visit by Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder to a production facility of MBDA Deutschland, on March 5, 2024 in Schrobenhausen, Germany. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is under strong domestic and international pressure to supply Ukraine with the Taurus cruise missile, though he has so far remained adamant in his refusal
Detailing how many missiles could be used, the officers also discussed long-range missiles supplied to Ukraine by France (Scalp missiles) and Britain (Storm Shadow). One of the officers also referred to “British soldiers on the ground in Ukraine,” and there were also mentions of “many people in civilian clothes that speak with an American accent,” alluding to the U.S. presence on the ground in Ukraine.
The call, which took place on WebEx, a public platform for video meetings, got leaked when one of the officers joined the call from a Singapore hotel using either his mobile phone or the hotel’s Wi-Fi and not a secure line, which is mandatory for such calls. Without naming the officer, Mr. Pistorius said that the officer had participated in the Singapore Air Show, attended by many European military officers, and then dialled into the call.
Due to the unsecure nature of his connection, the call was intercepted by Russian operatives who were doing “targeted hacking of hotels across the board,” said Mr. Pistorius, adding that the call was a “real find for the Russian secret services.”
What is the aftermath of the leak?
Sharing the audio clip publicly on March 1, Russia declared that it was proof of the direct involvement of western nations in the Russia-Ukraine war. It also demanded an explanation of the discussion from Germany. On March 5, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova threatened Germany with ‘dire consequences,’ saying that “If nothing is done, and the German people do not stop this, then there will be dire consequences first and foremost for Germany itself.”
In response, the German government’s deputy spokesperson Wolfgang Buechner rejected the allegations of “preparing for war against Russia.” Terming the leak as part of Russia’s ‘information war’ aimed to create discord within Germany, he said that the allegations were “absurdly infamous Russian propaganda.” However, Germany did not question the authenticity of the leaked call and an investigation was ordered into the incident.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius gives a press statement on the status of an investigation into the German military audio that was leaked by Russia, in Berlin, on March 5, 2024.
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AP
Later, when briefing reporters about the initial results of the probe, Mr. Pistorius downplayed the significance of the leaked call saying it was “merely an exchange of ideas” before a meeting with him. Terming the damage due to the leak as “manageable,” he said the real success was the agenda-setting by Moscow on what was being discussed in Berlin, calling it “exactly what Putin wants to achieve.”
He also stated that while the overall security of military intelligence was stepped up and preliminary disciplinary proceedings were being considered, severe personal consequences (for the offending officer) was highly unlikely. “I will not sacrifice any of my best officers to Putin’s games, to put it very clearly,” said Mr. Pistorius. He also claimed that he leak was a “hybrid attack aimed to divide us (Ukraine’s allies).”
What is the global response?
Countering Russia’s allegations against Germany, Mr. Pistorius reportedly called Berlin’s allies and explained its position on the leak.
Backing Germany, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby refused to comment on the content of leak, but called it Russia’s attempt to “sow discord to show that the West isn’t unified.” He also stated that all allies were working together to support Ukraine and that the “Germans have stepped up in meaningful ways.” The $60-billion bipartisan agreement on military aid to Ukraine passed by the U.S. Senate remains stuck in the Republican-ruled U.S. Congress, reportedly at the whim of the party’s presidential frontrunner Donald Trump.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speak to the media following talks on March 07, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. The two diplomats discussed military support for Ukraine as well as the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, among other issues.
In Britain, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson told reporters that the leak was a matter for Germany to investigate. Previously, Mr. Sunak’s office had stated that “a small number of personnel” were on the ground to provide security for diplomats and support Ukrainian troops. Britain has also termed the use of Storm Shadow missiles as the business of the armed forces of Ukraine.
However, former U.K. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace slammed Germany, terming it “neither secure nor reliable” as it was “pretty penetrated by Russian intelligence.” In reply, Miguel Berger, German ambassador to the U.K., called Mr. Wallace’s statement “extremely unhelpful,” while asserting that there was “no need to apologise” for the security breach. Meanwhile, U.K. Foreign secretary David Cameron is currently visiting Germany to conduct talks with his counterpart Annalena Baerbock on boosting support for Ukraine.
Effect on Germany-Russia relations
Last week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ruled out delivering Taurus missiles to Ukraine, indicating that Berlin did not want to be drawn into the war directly. The missiles, which have a range up to 500 km, are capable of striking targets deep inside Russian territory. However, despite Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy insisting that “the United States (acts first) and then Germany,” Mr. Scholz asserted that he would not support any German involvement in the military operation against Russia.
In the wake of the phone call leak, Mr. Scholz on March 5 reasserted his stance during a school visit in southwestern Germany. When asked about his refusal to deliver Taurus missiles, despite the U.K.’s nudge to do so, Mr. Scholz said, “I’m the chancellor, and that’s why it’s valid.” German Ambassador to Russia Alexander Graf Lambsdorff was reportedly summoned by Moscow on the same day.
Toning down its attack on Germany, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that a “fast, complete and effective investigation” was assured by Mr. Scholz, adding, “We hope that that we will be able to find out the outcome of that investigation.”
Relations between Germany and Russia have been stable in the post-Cold war era, with Berlin seeking better ties with Moscow focusing on bilateral energy projects such as the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which transports gas directly from Russia to Germany. The trade and energy links between the two nations grew despite Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008.
File photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin, France’s President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (L-R) attend a meeting on February 11, 2015 in Minsk, aimed at halting a 10-month war in Ukraine where dozens were killed in the latest fighting.
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MYKOLA LAZARENKO
However, diplomatic relations soured in 2014 as then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel termed Crimea’s annexation by Russia that year as illegal and supported the suspension of Moscow’s membership in the G7. She also backed economic sanctions on Russia targeting the financial, trade, energy, transport, technology and defence sectors. Relations further soured after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While Berlin favoured diplomatic talks in the initial phase of the war, its stance hardened as Moscow’s military action increased.
Along with its European Union allies, Germany started supplying military aid to Ukraine and supporting harsh economic sanctions on Russia, leading to a fall in exports by £1.29 billion and imports by £2.36 billion. Germany also cut off its energy dependence on Russia by ending the Nord Stream 2 project and switching to liquid natural gas as an alternative to the Russian gas.
Flowers are seen placed around portraits of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian Arctic prison, at a makeshift memorial in front of the former Russian consulate in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on February 23, 2024.
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Germany has also severely condemned the death of Putin-critic Alexei Navalny in an Arctic prison. Mr. Navalny had previously recuperated in Berlin after a poisoning attack. Incidentally, the leak of the military phone call took place on the same day Mr. Navalny was laid to rest at a church outside Moscow, with wishes pouring in from across the world.
