Generals Discussed Secrets Of Ukraine War Using Off-The-Shelf Video Phone Tech, One Dialed In From Hotel Room
Germany has been in continued damaged control in the wake of the audio leak of top German generals discussing sending Ukraine missiles and the potential of destroying the Kerch Strait Bridge.
There's been yet more revelations, including that the generals, which included commander of the national air force Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, used off-the-shelf and apparently non-secure video phone technology to discuss highly sensitive matters of national security. One general on the line reportedly dialed in from his hotel room. This made the secretive multi-way call easy for the Kremlin to intercept.
According to new details reported in the UK's Telegraph, "The head of the Luftwaffe told air force officers and a general who dialed in from his hotel room how British and French officials were delivering Storm Shadows to Ukrainian soldiers."
The publication further blasted it as among the German government's worst security breaches since the Cold War.
Gen. Gerhartz also confirmed in the conversation that British troops are "on the ground" in Ukraine. But while admitting that the leaked audio - which first appeared in Russia's RT last Friday after it was obtained by RT editor in chief Margarita Simonyan - is authentic Berlin is also claiming this is part of a Kremlin plot to destabilize Germany.
The Telegraph relays the new German military statement as follows:
Boris Pistorius, the German defense minister, said on Sunday that Vladimir Putin was using the recording to try to "destabilize" Germany, sowing divisions with an "information war".
In the call, Ingo Gerhartz, the Luftwaffe air force Lieutenant General, discusses the possible delivery of German Taurus missiles, which have a longer range and are more precise than Storm Shadows.
"If we’re asked about delivery methods. I know how the British do this," Gerhartz's words were further captured as saying. "They do it completely in reach-back [a military term indicating close collaboration with military intelligence, skipping normal protocols]. They have several people on the ground."
In response came the (presumed) words of Brigadier General Frank Graefe describing that Ukrainian troops were trained on German soil and that a "right course of action" would be for the UK to "take over" the training.
Chief of the German Air Force says US military personnel already on the ground in Ukraine are available to help Ukrainians operate their German-provided Taurus missiles to strike Russia pic.twitter.com/hG8eZJ4dEe
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) March 3, 2024
Ironically, Graefe at one point expressed during the discussion, "Just imagine the uproar if the media were to find out." UK media and British officials have been in an uproar as the leaked audio file spreads globally, and is getting more and more attention.
The Kremlin has since the leak first appeared been demanding answers from the German government, and has said this proves the prior statements of top Russian officials accusing NATO of militarizing Ukraine and having a presence on the ground. No doubt UK and other NATO officials are also calling into German government offices looking for answers on how this serious breach could have happened. Likely they'll want to know whether other similar leaks of separate conversations are coming.