Germany Accuses Russia of "Hybrid Attack" Amidst TAURUS Cruise Missile Leak

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has pointed fingers at Russia, accusing the nation of orchestrating a "hybrid attack" against Germany following the leak of a sensitive conversation involving the German Air Force's TAURUS Cruise Missile.

The leaked conversation involved German Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz and other high-ranking officers.

Speaking in Berlin, Pistorius asserted, "This incident is clearly more than just the eavesdropping and broadcasting of a discussion in the Air Force. This is part of the information war waged by Russian President (Vladimir) Putin, there is no doubt about that. This is a hybrid attack for disinformation, aimed at creating divisions and undermining our unity."

Pistorius urged caution and determination in responding to the incident, emphasizing its significance within the broader context of an information war. The defense minister promptly called upon the Counter-Intelligence Service within the army to investigate the matter thoroughly, vowing that necessary conclusions and decisions would be made following the inquiry.

Pistorius dismissed the notion that the leaked recording supported the myth of Germany planning a war against Russia, calling it "complete nonsense." He pledged a comprehensive investigation into the incident and indicated that new measures would be implemented to counteract phone tapping and eavesdropping attacks.

Russia Today (RT) Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan released a 30-minute audio recording of the German officers' conversation. The recording revealed discussions among senior German Air Force members about the potential shipment of TAURUS missiles to Ukraine, their technical capabilities, and the prospect of Ukraine using them without Germany's intelligence and technical support.

The conversation also touched upon the possibility of TAURUS missiles being used to destroy the Crimean Bridge on the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula.Currently, Kyiv has expressed interest in acquiring TAURUS missiles with a range of approximately 500 km (300 miles). However, German Chancellor Scholz has rejected the request, fearing an escalation of the conflict. Instead, France and England have supplied Kiev with SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles, both with a range of 250-300 kilometers, which have been used to target strategic Russian bases.

Low-flying cruise missiles such as the Taurus are hard to detect by air defense radars. The missile is launched by fighter jets such as the Tornado, the F-15 or the F-18. It is mainly used to hit high-value targets behind enemy lines such as command bunkers, ammunitions and fuel dumps, airfields and bridges.