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The Kremlin today accused the West of ‘direct involvement’ in Ukraine, after a purported leak of a phone call between German military officials seemingly confirmed the presence of British troops on the ground in the nation.
Berlin has been branded ‘unreliable’ in the wake of a call between Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz and senior air force officers being intercepted by Russia.
The discussions, leaked to state-backed broadcaster RT on Friday, seemingly included confirmation that British personnel are deployed in Ukraine, and have played a role in the deployment of long-range missiles that are being fired at Russian targets.
German officials were also overheard discussing weapons for Ukraine, as well as facilitating a potential strike on a bridge in Crimea.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it was not clear whether the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, were acting on their own initiative or it was part of state policy.
But he furiously claimed the leak ‘once again highlight[s] the direct involvement of the collective West in the conflict in Ukraine.’
British personnel are allegedly deployed in Ukraine, and have played a role in the deployment of long-range missiles that are being fired at Russian targets (File image)
The UK has denied claims that its troops are on the ground in Ukraine
Chief of staff of the German Air Force Ingo Gerhartz was caught on tape making the claims
The Kremlin has accused the West of ‘direct involvement’ in the war in Ukraine
Russia’s foreign ministry has also summoned Germany’s ambassador to demand an explanation of the discussions.
Today, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow would show restraint in response to the purported intercept, but would not forget about it.
He also said that peace talks with the current Ukrainian leadership were impossible and that any new Ukrainian government would first have to recognise the ‘new reality’ on the ground for talks to take place.
Germany yesterday accused Russia of deliberately trying to destablise it with the leak.
The nation’s defence minister Boris Pistorius said: ‘It is about using this recording to destabilise and unsettle us.’
He added that he hoped ‘Putin will not succeed’ in his efforts.
The German defence ministry on Saturday said it was checking whether a confidential videoconference on the Ukraine war had been wiretapped after a recording was posted on Russian social media.
But the conversation is understood to have taken place on an unsecured line using WebEx, a commercially available platform, instead of a secure internal military line.
Roderich Kiesewetter, from Germany’s opposition conservatives, warned that further recordings might also be leaked.
Germany has been trying to save face, but Western allies are furious with the nation over the leak (File image)
The leak comes as much of the West has been trying to lobby Germany into sending long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine (File image)
Britain denied that it had any direct involvement in operating the missiles (File image)
‘A number of other conversations will certainly 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 over the leak.
Britain denied that it had any direct involvement in operating the missiles.
‘Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow and its targeting processes are the business of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,’ a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said in a statement.
Former British Army chief Lord Dannatt said German air force officers who were caught talking on an unencrypted call about British operations on the ground in Ukraine should be ‘censured pretty heavily’.
He told Times Radio: ‘I was very disappointed to read that story. I think the German air force officers who were talking on an open line, frankly, they should be censured pretty heavily.
‘They are suggesting that there are British people in Ukraine. It’s not for you or me to comment on that. We have provided a lot of equipment to them. We provided a lot of training.
‘As far as I’m concerned, I think what they were talking about was whether they would or wouldn’t supply a German system akin to our Storm Shadow. I suspect that we do our training on Storm Shadow, either in this country or in Poland or elsewhere. It’s not for you or I to confirm or deny whether there are British military in Ukraine.’
A Ukrainian serviceman walks in a trench on the frontline with Russia-backed separatists near town of Krasnogorivka, Donetsk region
A Ukrainian serviceman climbs onto a new armoured vehicle during a handing over ceremony of military equipment by the President Poroshenko to the Ukrainian forces near the city of Ghytomyr
Lord Dannatt said he would like defence spending to increase by up to 4%, but he does not expect Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to do so in Wednesday’s Budget.
He said: ‘I’m afraid you can’t get away from the fact that there’s a brutal war going on in Europe at the present moment, and that we have an absolute duty to support the Ukrainians, and also to make sure that we look after our own security.
‘So it does make spending on defence a pretty strong case – in fact, a very strong case.
‘But I think we will probably all accept that, actually, political pressures at home are going to mean that, notwithstanding the strength of the case to spend more on defence. And it’s a very strong case. I don’t actually expect the Chancellor will do that on Wednesday.’
He added that there is a ‘very strong case to say we should be giving the Ukrainians more, to support them more’.
The leak comes as much of the West has been trying to lobby Germany into sending long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
The acquisition of German Taurus missiles would provide a massive boost for Ukraine as Kyiv struggles to fend off Russia’s invasion.
A rescue worker operates at the site of an apartment building damaged by a Russian drone strike
France and Britain have supplied Kyiv with SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles, both of which have a range of about 250 kilometres
France and Britain have supplied Kyiv with SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles, both of which have a range of about 250 kilometres.
But Chancellor Olaf Scholz said last week that Germany could not justify matching British and French moves in sending long-range missiles to Ukraine and supporting the weapon system’s deployment.
‘This is a very long-range weapon, and what the British and French are doing in terms of targeting and supporting targeting cannot be done in Germany,’ Scholz said, without specifying exactly what he meant.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chair of the defence committee in Germany’s parliament, said Moscow’s intention was ‘obvious’.
Scholz is being ‘warned against’ supplying Ukraine with Taurus missiles, she said.
‘We urgently need to increase our security and counterintelligence, because we are obviously vulnerable in this area,’ she told the Funke media group.
