Bundestag official calls for counterintelligence efforts to be stepped up in wake of bugging scandal

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Chair of the Bundestag Defence Committee, has called for a response after Russia released a recording of Bundeswehr officers' conversations.

Source: German news channel n-tv, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The official stated that espionage has always been one of the tools of Russia's hybrid warfare.

"It's not surprising that conversations are intercepted," she said, adding that it was only a matter of time before the content of the conversations would be made public.

"We urgently need to strengthen our security and counterintelligence because we are obviously vulnerable in this area," said Strack-Zimmermann.

The politician believes that the reason for the disclosure of the conversations is that Russia seeks to discourage Chancellor Olaf Scholz from giving the green light to supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

Background:

• The Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany has reportedly initiated an investigation into whether conversations of representatives of its air force – who, according to Russian propaganda, allegedly discussed blowing up the Crimean Bridge with Taurus missiles – were intercepted.
• Afterwards, a range of German politicians called for the situation with possible bugging and espionage in the Bundeswehr to be clarified.
• This week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz once again ruled out sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine, claiming that this would mean that Germany would become a party to the war against Russia.
• Chancellor added that Germany could not give Ukraine weapons with a range of 500 km, which, "in case of incorrect usage, could hit a certain target somewhere in Moscow".

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