Germany accuses Moscow of ‘disinformation attack’ in leaking senior officers’ call

Germany has accused Russia of a disinformation campaign after a leaked call involving top German military personnel discussing a theoretical export of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius asserted that the leak aimed to destabilize Germany. The 38-minute call, involving high-level officers and confirmed by the German government, centered on the use of missiles against Russian infrastructure.

While Chancellor Olaf Scholz has resisted sending such weapons to Ukraine, contradicting the British and French positions, the leak has not translated into an official approval for missile transfers.

Pistorius emphasized the leaked call did not represent a shift in Germany's stance and cautioned against falling for Russian President Putin's attempts to foster division.

During the leaked discussion, officers debated potential targets and training for Ukrainian forces, along with logistical details, yet acknowledged such missile deliveries would unlikely change the war's outcome.

The German Military Counterintelligence Service is investigating, but the leak's timing is sensitive, coinciding with Scholz's comments about British and French military support to Ukraine, which stirred controversy.

Though Pistorius has deemed the timing of the leak suspicious, he believes it would be premature to enforce personnel changes, though some have called for accountability over the security lapse.