The Kremlin today accused the West of “direct involvement” in Ukraine, after an alleged leak of a phone call between German military officials appeared to confirm the presence of British troops on the ground in the nation.
Berlin has been branded “unreliable” following a call between Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz and senior air force officers that was intercepted by Russia.
The discussions, leaked on Friday to state broadcaster RT, apparently included confirmation that British personnel are deployed in Ukraine and have played a role in the deployment of long-range missiles being fired at Russian targets.
German officials were also heard discussing weapons for Ukraine, as well as facilitating a possible attack on a bridge in Crimea.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was unclear whether the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, were acting on their own initiative or it was part of state policy.
But he furiously claimed that the leak “highlights once again the direct involvement of the collective West in the Ukraine conflict.”
British personnel are allegedly deployed in Ukraine and have played a role in the deployment of long-range missiles being fired at Russian targets (File Image)
The UK has denied claims that its troops are on the ground in Ukraine.
The Chief of Staff of the German Air Force, Ingo Gerhartz, was recorded making these statements.
The Kremlin accused the West of “direct involvement” in the Ukraine war
The Russian Foreign Ministry also summoned Germany’s ambassador to demand an explanation about the discussions.
Today, Russian Security Council Vice President Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow would show restraint in response to the alleged interception but would not forget it.
He also said that peace talks with the current Ukrainian leadership were impossible and that any new Ukrainian government would first have to recognize the “new reality” on the ground for talks to take place.
Germany yesterday accused Russia of deliberately trying to destabilize it with the leak.
The nation’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said: “This footage is about using this footage to destabilize and disrupt us.”
He added that he hoped “Putin would not succeed” in his efforts.
The German Defense Ministry said on Saturday it was checking whether a confidential video conference on the Ukraine war had been wiretapped after a recording was published on Russian social media.
But it is understood the conversation took place on an unsecured line using WebEx, a commercially available platform, rather than a secure internal military line.
Roderich Kiesewetter of Germany’s conservative opposition warned that more recordings could also be leaked.
Germany has been trying to save face, but Western allies are furious at the nation over the leak (File Image)
The leak comes as much of the West has been trying to pressure Germany to send long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine (File Image)
Britain denied having any direct involvement in the missile operation (File image)
“Other conversations will surely have been intercepted and may be leaked at a later date for Russia’s benefit,” he told broadcaster ZDF.
Germany has been trying to save face, but Western allies are furious with the nation for the leak.
Britain denied having any direct involvement in the missile operation.
“Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow and its targeting processes are a matter for the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” a Defense Ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
Former British army chief Lord Dannatt said German air force officers who were caught speaking on an unencrypted call about British ground operations in Ukraine should be “fairly censured”.
He told Times Radio: ‘I was very disappointed to read that story. I think that the German air force officers who spoke openly, frankly, should be censured quite harshly.
‘They are suggesting that there are British in Ukraine. It’s not your place or me to comment on that. We have provided them with a lot of equipment. We provide a lot of training.
‘As far as I’m concerned, I think what they were talking about was whether or not they would supply a German system similar to our Storm Shadow. I suspect we do our training on Storm Shadow, whether in this country, Poland, or somewhere else. It is not for you or me to confirm or deny whether there are British military personnel in Ukraine.
A Ukrainian soldier walks in a trench on the front line with Russian-backed separatists near the town of Krasnogorivka, Donetsk region.
A Ukrainian soldier boards a new armored vehicle during the ceremony of handing over military equipment by President Poroshenko to Ukrainian forces near the city of Ghytomyr.
Lord Dannatt said he would like to see defense spending rise by up to 4%, but does not expect Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to do so in Wednesday’s Budget.
He said: “I am afraid that there is no ignoring the fact that a brutal war is being fought in Europe at the moment and that we have an absolute duty to support the Ukrainians and also to ensure that we ensure our own safety.
‘So this makes defense spending a pretty strong argument; in fact, a very strong argument.
“But I think we’ll probably all accept that, in reality, domestic political pressures are going to mean that, despite the strength of the arguments, more is spent on defense. And it’s a very strong case. I don’t actually expect the Chancellor do that on Wednesday.”
He added that there is “a very strong argument to say that we should give more to the Ukrainians, support them more.”
The leak comes as much of the West has been trying to pressure Germany to send long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
The acquisition of German Taurus missiles would provide a huge boost to Ukraine as kyiv struggles to defend itself from the Russian invasion.
A rescuer operates at the site of an apartment building damaged by a Russian drone attack.
France and Britain have supplied kyiv with SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles, both with a range of about 250 kilometers.
France and Britain have supplied kyiv with SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles, both with a range of about 250 kilometers.
But Chancellor Olaf Scholz said last week that Germany could not justify measures similar to those of Britain and France by sending long-range missiles to Ukraine and supporting the deployment of the weapons system.
“This is a very long-range weapon, and what the British and French are doing in terms of aiming and supporting targets cannot be done in Germany,” Scholz said, without specifying exactly what he meant.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chairwoman of the German parliament’s defense committee, said Moscow’s intention was “obvious.”
Scholz is “warned” not to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles, he said.
“We urgently need to increase our security and counterintelligence, because in this area we are clearly vulnerable,” he told the Funke media group.