Germany's Defense Minister said on Sunday (3) that Russia was conducting an “information war” with the aim of creating divisions within Germany, in his first reaction to the publication in Russia of an audio of a meeting of military officials high-ranking German women.
Russian media on Friday published a 38-minute recording of a call in which German officials were heard discussing weapons for Ukraine and a possible attack by Kiev on a bridge in Crimea, prompting Russian authorities to demand one explanation.
On Saturday (2), Germany classified the act as an apparent act of wiretapping and said it was investigating.
“The incident is much more than just the interception and publication of a conversation… It is part of an information war that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is waging,” Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Sunday. “It’s a hybrid disinformation attack. This is about division. It’s about undermining our unity.”
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied accusations of spreading false or misleading information when faced with allegations from other countries.
A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said on social media on Friday: “We demand an explanation from Germany,” without detailing its specific concerns.
The Russian embassy in Berlin did not respond to a request for comment.
Conference call participants in the recording discuss the possible delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Kiev, which German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far firmly rejected publicly. They also talk about training Ukrainian soldiers and possible military targets.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to journalists on Saturday about “cunning plans of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces), which became apparent due to the publication of the recording. This is blatant self-exposure.”
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now vice-president of Russia's Security Council, said on Sunday that the recording indicated Berlin was preparing to fight Moscow.
Source: CNN Brasil
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