Germany's security breach fuels war rhetoric and alarm among NATO
The Ministry of Defense confirmed the authenticity of recordings containing conversations between Luftwaffe officers, published by Kremlin propagandist Margarita Simonian. The German Chancellor has "promised a quick clarification of the matter." Following this, Dmitry Medvedev made a provocative statement, claiming, "Germany is preparing for war with Russia," on Telegram.
9:21 AM EST, March 3, 2024
Many reports by Russian media or government officials are elements of propaganda. These statements contribute to the information war waged by the Russian Federation.
"I think the governing political alliance in Germany will now attempt to clear its name and lessen the public outrage sparked by the conversation of the Luftwaffe officers," commented Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian Federation's Security Council chairman.
"Preparing for war with Russia"
The former Russian president doesn't just criticize the German Chancellor; he also proposes the idea that "Germany is preparing for war with Russia."
"Even if they are not aware and have not ordered anything of this sort, history is replete with instances where the military made decisions or incited wars on behalf of civilian leaders. They will approach Scholz and say: 'Mr. Chancellor (of the Reich), a missile shot down in Ukraine, was headed for Berlin. How will Scholz respond?'" Medvedev speculated.
Wiretapping scandal in Germany
In a statement released on Friday, Medvedev wrote, "Germany has once again become our sworn enemy." His comments stem from a wiretapping scandal involving Luftwaffe officers.
On Sunday, the German Ministry of Defense admitted that "the means of communication used were insufficiently secure, given the importance of the discussed matters."
As of now, "no other instances of eavesdropping are known," "Bild" reported on Sunday.
A conversation lasting over half an hour, where German military personnel discussed the potential deployment of Taurus missiles by Ukraine in defense against Russia, was aired on Friday by Russian state television RT and its affiliated propaganda outlets.
The discussion, which took place on February 19, involved Air Force inspector Ingo Gerhartz and "three high-ranking military officers." They deliberated potential targets in Russia for Taurus missiles (including Russian ammunition depots and Crimea), ways the Bundeswehr could support Ukraine in the event of missile deployment, and how to control the missile’s trajectory.
Eavesdropping "causes concern"
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on Saturday, labeled Russia's eavesdropping on the conversation as "a very serious matter" and promised a thorough, swift investigation.
As reported by "Bild," this incident of Russian espionage "also raised significant concern among Germany's NATO partners, who are worried about the security of military information." The military counterintelligence service (MAD) is investigating to ascertain the breach of security protocols.
source: PAP / BILD / WP News
