German military's leaked call reveals British army's 'direct' involvement in Russia-Ukraine conflict

A leaked audio recording involving German air force officers has revealed that British soldiers are actively involved in Ukraine, assisting Kyiv’s forces in firing long-range Storm Shadow missiles.

The recording, confirmed as authentic by Germany, captures discussions on military strategies, including the use of missiles to target the Kerch Bridge connecting Russia with occupied Crimea. It was released Friday by the editor of the Kremlin-controlled news channel RT.

The 38-minute chat, which occurred two weeks ago on the somewhat unreliable Webex platform, is still believed to be authentic. Russian actors appear to have recorded and hacked it, sending it to RT’s editor for Friday’s Telegram release.

In the leaked conversation, Lt Gen Ingo Gerhartz, head of the Luftwaffe, discusses Britain’s collaboration with Ukraine in deploying Storm Shadow missiles against targets deep within Russian territory. The conversation highlighted the British approach, which includes on-site support, in contrast to other nations.

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“When it comes to mission planning,” the German commander says, “I know how the English do it, they do it completely in reachback. They also have a few people on the ground, they do that, the French don’t.”

The military term “reachback” refers to the process of providing intelligence, equipment, and support to units stationed on the front from the rear.

The Kremlin has responded, citing the leak as evidence of the direct involvement of Western countries in the conflict in Ukraine. Germany’s defense minister, however, has accused Moscow of waging an “information war” against the West.

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Former UK junior defense minister Tobias Ellwood described the leak as embarrassing for Berlin, suggesting that Russia likely knew about the British presence due to its extensive espionage activities. Nevertheless, concerns remain over potential escalation of the conflict.

Last Tuesday, amid worries that any possible combat involvement could be interpreted as escalatory by Moscow, Britain confirmed the presence of a “small number of personnel” in Ukraine. However, it did not specify what tasks these individuals were performing.

The leaked call also discusses Germany’s refusal to provide Taurus missiles to Ukraine without the presence of German soldiers, which could risk implicating Germany in the conflict. The conversation explores alternatives, including training Ukrainian soldiers to operate the missiles.

Compared to their French counterparts, Storm Shadow and Scalp, Taurus missiles can travel up to 300 miles at their maximum range. The German officers talk about various possible target types for the Taurus during the call, such as a “bridge in the east” that is supposedly hard to reach and has “relatively small” pillars.

The description fits the vital Kerch Bridge, which is a vital supply line to Russian-occupied Crimea and which the Ukrainians have failed to destroy thus far despite multiple bombing attempts. They come to the conclusion that while it might require “10 to 20 missiles,” it would be technically possible to destroy the bridge.

Opposition defense expert Roderich Kiesewetter suggests that Russia leaked the meeting to undermine Germany’s potential missile delivery to Ukraine and divert public attention from other issues.