Not long after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s gaffe concerning the alleged deployment of British and French troops on the ground, Russia has jumped on an alleged audio recording in which German military officials discuss plans for attacking the Kerch Bridge.
In his speech to the Federal Assembly on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that dangerous actions and statements by the West in foreign policy threaten conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization.
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Simonyan said that on the day when Scholz vowed that NATO was not participating and would not participate in the Ukrainian conflict, high-ranking German officers were discussing the possibility of attacking the Crimean Bridge in a way that would help avoid consequences for the German authorities.
She also said that in the 40-minute recording the German officers also refer to US and British personnel who “have been directly involved in the conflict for a long time.”
The timing of the public statements about the audio tape gave Russia’s media, politicians and spokespersons a chance to voice their “concern.”
Vladimir Bulavin, head of the defense and security committee of Russia’s upper house of parliament said: “We call on German authorities to immediately conduct a thorough investigation of this conversation and provide explanations to the world community. This is the only way to restore trust and confidence that international norms and principles will be respected.”
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He said the existence of the recording reveals “a growing discord in German society about its foreign policy toward Russia.”
“It may mean that not all of Germany’s nationals support the official course of their government, especially concerning Russia,” and that a considerable part of German society sees Russia as “a major economic and strategic partner rather than as an enemy.”
Maria Zakharova senior spokesperson for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on her Telegram channel: “I wonder what Annalena Baerbok [Germany's Minister for Foreign Affairs] thinks about this? The German press has a good reason to prove its independence and ask her questions. And our press has an urgent topic for communication with the German Embassy in Moscow.”
Zakharova said that senior Ukrainian intelligence officers had threatened to destroy the Crimean Bridge and that French President Emmanuel Macron said that the EU had agreed to create a “ninth coalition for deep strikes” and to supply medium and long-range missiles to Ukraine.
The speaker of Russia’s lower house, Vyacheslav Volodin said that “the information that has emerged with recordings of discussions by high-ranking German officers about plans to strike the Crimean Bridge… as well as how to do this so that suspicion does not fall on the German Chancellor Scholz, deserves the most serious discussion and response… I also think it is correct to send a demand to the Bundestag to conduct an investigation.”
He said that he planned to raise the issue in the State Duma on March 11. “The fact that the conversation was recorded compels the German leadership to provide an explanation… Does Scholz understand that these actions will require Russia to retaliate?” he said.
“We don't know anything about this content. I don't know if this recording is available,” Peskov said, who then told reporters that he will listen to the recording when it becomes available.
The Kerch Bridge is the largest structure of its kind in Europe and connects the occupied Crimean Peninsula to the Russian mainland across the Kerch Strait. Russians use the bridge to transport military materiel for their ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Kyiv carried out two explosive attacks on the bridge in October 2022 and July 2023, using a truck and naval drones.
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