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The full text of what is claimed to be a discussion by senior German military officers on how to attack the Crimean Bridge in Russia was published by RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan on Friday. She reported that Russian security officials had leaked the recording hours earlier and has pledged to release the original audio shortly.
Simonyan identified the officers as General Ingo Gerhartz, the German Air Force commander, and senior leaders responsible for mission planning. The alleged conversation took place on February 19, according to the source of the leak.
The transcript reveals the officials discussed the efficiency of the Franco-British cruise missile called Storm Shadow by the UK and SCALP by France. Both nations donated some of their stockpile to Ukraine.
Kiev has called on Germany to provide some of its Taurus missiles. The officers in the leaked recording debate whether the weapon system was adequate for hitting the Crimean Bridge in Russia, which connects eastern Crimea to Krasnodar Region across the Kerch Strait.
According to the transcript, the officers discussed how a successful attack on a key piece of Russian infrastructure would require additional satellite data, possible deployment of missiles from French Dassault Rafale fighter jets, and at least a month of preparation.
One participant observed that due to the size of the bridge, which is the longest in Europe, even 20 missiles may not be enough to cause significant damage. It is comparable to a runway in that regard, he noted.
”They want to destroy the bridge… because it has not only military strategic importance, but also political significance,” Gerhartz is quoted as saying, apparently referring to officials in Kiev. “It would be concerning if we have direct connection with the Ukrainian armed forces.”
The officers went on to discuss how close the German military should be working on the proposed operation so as not to cross the ‘red line’ of being involved directly. Secretly training Ukrainians in the use of German weapons and helping them plan the operation were deemed acceptable. Concerns about the press learning about such cooperation were also raised, the transcript reveals.
Senior officials in Berlin have repeatedly made public statements explaining their reservations about sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said this week that the Germany’s military cannot do for Ukraine what “was done on the part of the British and French in terms of target-control and target-control assistance.” The remark was rebuked by London and Paris, for allegedly distracting public attention from German unwillingness to donate arms to Kiev.
According to the released text, a large segment of the conversation was about practical aspects of preparing Kiev’s forces for deploying Taurus missiles, from training its military personnel, to adapting hardpoints of Ukrainian military jets for Berlin's weapons, to providing technical support remotely via a safe link. The officers were concerned that speeding up the proposed handover may result in civilians being killed “again” in a weapons mishap.
When assessing the intelligence necessary for targeting the missiles, Gerhartz allegedly mused that, to provide such information, there are plenty of “people in civilian clothes with American accents” in Kiev that would cover up for the Germans.
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https://www.rt.com/news/593511-transcript-german-attack-crimean-bridge/
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I have just listened to the audio file. The inspector of the air force, its commander and second officers discussed the tasks that would have to precede the use of TAURUS cruise missiles.
First, the German insignia would have to be removed. Then the routes that would allow Ukrainians to use the weapons independently would have to be described. It is undisputed that the quickest method would be to create the flight routes and target data, which would be done by the manufacturing company or the German Armed Forces' own personnel at Büchel Air Base. This "file" would then have to be sent to Ukraine as quickly as possible. This would only be possible within six hours via a secure line from Büchel to the Ukraine. The alternative would be to transport a data carrier to Poland by car and leave the onward transportation to the Poles.
The possibility of leaving some of the activities to the British (Storm Shadow) already working in Ukraine was also discussed. The second part of the conversation dealt with the targets to be attacked, the Crimean bridge and/or ammunition depots. The bridge was described as the more difficult target because the navigation system had to be given a very detailed description of the bridge's appearance.
A further problem was identified in the knowledge of the Russian air defense positions, which had to be solved in order to hit as many targets as possible with the presumed 50 to 100 missiles. which Germany would be able to deliver at most. The perverse thing about te discussion was that all participants were aware that this step would not change the outcome of the war in the slightest.
I am German and could only throw up! But the Americans should also ask themselves whether the Ukrainians are really in a position to operate HIMARS on their own, because if not, the civilian victims of the Ukrainian revenge attacks on the inner cities of Donetsk and Belgorod will also be on NATO's account.
Dima from the Military Summary Channel has been wondering for days about the accumulation of Ukrainian air defense systems in the Kherson section. Considering that the conversation between the German air force officers took place on February 19...
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Outstanding, thank you.