Russian media on Friday claimed that an alleged leaked audio file contains a recording of German generals discussing the possibility of a strike on the Crimean Bridge.
Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Kremlin-operated news outlet RT, said she had obtained the file from Russian security officials. Newsweek could not verify the authenticity of the audio or the transcript published on RT.
"We are investigating whether communications in the air force sector were intercepted. The Federal Office for the Military Counterintelligence Service has initiated all necessary measures," a spokesperson of the German Ministry of Defense told Newsweek. "We cannot say anything about the content of the communications that were apparently intercepted."
According to RT, the recording lasts for 40 minutes and features a conversation between four high-ranking German officials within the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces. At least two of the individuals were generals, RT alleged.
Their discussion reportedly included talk about the possibility of bombing the Crimean Bridge. Also called Kerch Strait Bridge or Kerch Bridge, the structure connects Russia's Krasnodar region with Crimea, a peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
A man identified by RT as a German Air Force commander allegedly spoke about how Ukraine's armed forces want to "destroy the bridge ... because it has not only military strategic importance, but also political significance."
The men allegedly debated whether Germany's long-range Taurus missiles would be powerful enough to successfully take out the bridge.
Elsewhere in RT's transcript, the officials allegedly talked about the efficiency of the cruise missile known as "Storm Shadow" in the United Kingdom and "SCALP" in France. Kyiv has been provided a number of these missiles from Western nations to aid in its defenses from the invasion launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin a little over two years ago.
RT wrote that the German officials also talked about how they could deny direct involvement in an attack against Russian targets, an action that the Kremlin has said would cross a "red line" and result in an escalation of the conflict.
One of the alleged "tricks" that RT said the officials suggested was dressing in civilians clothes and speaking with an American accent during a potential attack.
Several Kremlin officials have spoken out about the alleged audio, including Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
"We demand an explanation from Germany ... Berlin must provide it immediately. Attempts to dodge the question will be considered an admission of guilt," Zakharova said, according to Russian-state news outlet Sputnik.
Russian state media outlet TASS reported that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that NATO had "egg on its face" due to the leaked audio, while Vladimir Bulavin—head of the defense and security committee of Russia's Federation Council—said he wants German authorities to launch a probe into the alleged recording.
"We call on German authorities to immediately conduct a thorough investigation of this conversation and provide explanations to the world community," Bulavin told TASS. "This is the only way to restore trust and confidence that international norms and principles will be respected."
Meanwhile, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "Our historic adversaries, the Germans, have once again turned into our archenemies. Just take a look at how thoroughly and in what detail the krauts are discussing long-range missile strikes on Russia's territory, and are picking out targets and the most workable ways to harm our Motherland and our people."
"And how to react to this in a diplomatic way? I don't know ...," Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, added. "But I do know this one thing. The Second World War-era call has once again become relevant: DEATH TO THE FASCISTS!"
Update 03/02/24 11:29 a.m. ET: This story has been updated to include comment from the German Ministry of Defense, which was obtained after the story was originally published.
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