Bundeswehr wiretapped

Medvedev: Germany is preparing for war

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has accused Germany's military of preparing for war with Russia. This would be shown by the intercepted Bundeswehr conversation about the Taurus cruise missile. History knows many examples of the military being able to "instigate or provoke" wars.

The conversation between the four German officers was not just a mental game about missiles and tanks, said Medvedev. As reported, a 38-minute recording has been circulating since Friday, in which a conversation between military officers can be heard (see video above). It concerns the possible use of German Taurus cruise missiles by Ukrainian forces and the possible consequences. The cruise missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometers.

Scholz informed?
Russia's former president (2008 to 2012) objected that it was unclear whether the "political leadership" under German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had been informed about the officers' talks. Scholz was a "liverwurst chancellor" anyway. Medvedev is one of the most vocal supporters of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and repeatedly criticizes the West in his posts on social networks.

Taurus cruise missile of the German Armed Forces(Bild: AFP)

The intercepted recording was shared on Telegram by the editor-in-chief of the Russian state broadcaster RT, Margarita Simonjan. CDU defense expert Roderich Kieswetter said that there were indications that a Russian participant had taken part in the digital conference call. It now needs to be clarified how the Russian spies obtained the dial-in numbers. According to "Bild am Sonntag", the meeting was conducted via Webex using an office landline of the German Armed Forces.

All those responsible at all levels of the Bundeswehr must immediately receive comprehensive training on protected communication.

Eva Högl, Wehrbeauftragte des Bundes

More money for counter-espionage
Scholz also spoke of a "very serious matter" and announced clarification. "Firstly, all those responsible at all levels of the Bundeswehr must immediately receive comprehensive training on secure communications. Secondly, it must be ensured that secure and secret information and communication is possible in a stable manner," said Eva Högl (SPD), the Federal Commissioner for the Armed Forces. If this is not technically the case everywhere, upgrades must be made. In addition, more must be invested in countering espionage. The incident has not yet had any personal consequences.

The Ukrainian government has been demanding the delivery of the Taurus weapon system for months. Scholz rules this out, as it could involve his country in the war in Ukraine. Experts, however, point out that the Ukrainian armed forces are already very capable of operating and programming the cruise missiles themselves.