Berlin Confirmed the Authenticity of Spied Recording of German Officers – WSJ

High-ranking German officials confirmed to The Wall Street Journal the authenticity of a military recording during an online meeting that took place on the commercial, unencrypted WebEx platform.

According to the WSJ, one of the officers joined the conversation from his mobile phone from a hotel room in Singapore. 

At a secret online meeting, the German military discussed the possible supply of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. 

According to Bundeswehr officers, the weapons could be used to destroy the Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia with occupied Crimea and has been used to deliver weapons closer to Ukraine for Russia’s ongoing invasion.

In the recording, the commander of the German Air Force, Ingo Gerhartz, instructed his aides to prepare a presentation for the defense minister on how Germany could deliver the Taurus to Ukraine, as well as how Kyiv could use these missiles to destroy targets, particularly, ammunition warehouses and the Crimean Bridge.

In the audio, German officers indicate that they have analyzed in great detail how to attack this key piece of infrastructure. According to their calculations, it would take 10 to 20 Taurus missiles to bypass Russian air defenses and destroy the bridge.

“There's no real reason to say we can't do it; it just depends on the political red lines,” The Wall Street Journal quoted Gerhartz saying in the recording. 

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The publication writes that Germany has about 600 Taurus missiles. Berlin could allegedly supply Ukraine with about 100 missiles in two tranches.

At the same time, on the recordings, Gerhartz seems to say that it makes no sense to provide Ukraine with more than 100 missiles, saying the weapon would not significantly affect the situation on the battlefield. Because Ukraine does not have enough troops to liberate a new or even to hold the controlled territory.

According to the German commander, the destruction of the Crimean Bridge would be strategically and politically important. But Gerhartz believes that Ukraine, most likely, would not be able to continue the ground offensive.

“This will not change the course of the war, we must clearly understand this,” Gerhartz said.

The records say it takes Ukraine six hours to launch a missile after receiving intelligence on a new target.

During the conversation, the officers said that the German Air Force has simulated the terrain around the battlefield and can easily help Ukrainian forces bypass Russian air defense around key targets. 

To train Ukrainian operators to operate such a weapon, it will take from two weeks to four months, depending on the level of accuracy and complexity of the task. 

According to Gerhartz, the chancellor insisted that any missile transfer be used without the involvement of the German Armed Forces.