Pistorius said Sunday that the conversation by the officers does not mean a “green light” to send the missiles to Ukraine.
The contents of the leaked call — held on the WebEx platform, rather than through the army’s secure internal network — has raised eyebrows, but Pistorius said it is all part of Moscow’s effort to sow division.
“It’s a hybrid disinformation attack — it’s about division, it’s about undermining our unity,” Pistorius said, adding: “We mustn’t fall for Putin.”
Achtung Taurus
During the conversation, which the Russians say took place on Feb. 19, the officials discussed potential targets for any Taurus missiles donated to Ukraine, and the length of time it would take to train local personnel on targeting. The officers discussed how the missiles could be used to destroy a bridge, apparently referring to the Kerch bridge linking occupied Crimea to mainland Russia.
The officers also discuss preparations for a meeting with Pistorius, touching on how many Taurus missiles would be required to evade Russia’s air defenses and destroy the Kerch connection — a number they put at 10 to 20 missiles from Germany’s estimated 600-strong stockpile.
They also discuss ways to transport the data required to program Taurus from airbases in Germany into Ukraine, but are also clear that from a military standpoint missile deliveries wouldn’t change the outcome of the war anyway.
