٠٠:٠١:٢٥Mandatory credit: Federal Ministry of Defence
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius claimed that the country's military communications were 'not compromised' following last week's bombshell audio leak, while admitting that Moscow appeared to be controlling the agenda, during a briefing on Tuesday.
"Our communication systems have not been compromised," he stated, admitting that a version of the 'WebEx' software was used for the call but 'not the public WebEx platform', as well as 'additional security levels'.
"The reason that the phone call could still be recorded in the ranks of the Air Force is due to an individual application error," he continued. "A Russian spy or some other unauthorised person has not dialled into this WebEx conference."
Pistorius stated that one participant on the call had joined from Singapore 'virtually via an open connection'.
He also used the briefing to claim that the incident was evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin 'sets the agenda'.
"This is exactly what Putin wants to achieve," he claimed. "Over the course of several months or at least several weeks, he sets the agenda for what we are discussing here in Germany: whether it is support for Ukraine in one form or another, how successful Ukraine is, whether it can win the war or not."
"Time and time again this is an agenda imposed from outside by certain events. I am very angry about this story: among other things, because we have been dealing with only this topic for three days," he added.
The row began last Friday, when the 38-minute recording was published by Russian media. It featured four senior German military officers discussing the potential use of Taurus missiles in Ukraine, the supply of 100 such missiles and possible targets, including the Kerch Bridge.
It included the claim that the UK had 'people on the ground', which the country has repeatedly denied.
The German Defence Ministry subsequently confirmed the audio was genuine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz called it a 'very serious' security breach which would be 'investigated very carefully', while Pistorius himself claimed it was part of Russia's 'information war' and said it didn't mean there had been a 'green light' to send Taurus.
The Russian Foreign Ministry calls for Germany to provide 'answers', while Deputy Head of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev claimed it proved Germany was 'preparing for war against Russia'.
Scholz has consistently rejected calls to send Taurus missiles to Kiev. The leaked audio followed a major row between Germany and the UK last week, after the chancellor repeatedly claimed that the country, as well as France, was helping Ukraine with 'target control' of its missiles.
The chancellor's apparent revelations came while attempting to justify why the Taurus system would not be sent - because it required German troops on the ground.
Former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace criticised 'not only dangerous use of facts but also often wrong facts', describing Scholz as 'the wrong man, in the wrong job at the wrong time', while British Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Alicia Kearns also called it 'wrong, irresponsible and a slap in the face to allies'.
'Communication systems not compromised' - DefMin Pistorius admits Putin 'sets the agenda' following audio leak row
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius claimed that the country's military communications were 'not compromised' following last week's bombshell audio leak, while admitting that Moscow appeared to be controlling the agenda, during a briefing on Tuesday.
"Our communication systems have not been compromised," he stated, admitting that a version of the 'WebEx' software was used for the call but 'not the public WebEx platform', as well as 'additional security levels'.
"The reason that the phone call could still be recorded in the ranks of the Air Force is due to an individual application error," he continued. "A Russian spy or some other unauthorised person has not dialled into this WebEx conference."
Pistorius stated that one participant on the call had joined from Singapore 'virtually via an open connection'.
He also used the briefing to claim that the incident was evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin 'sets the agenda'.
"This is exactly what Putin wants to achieve," he claimed. "Over the course of several months or at least several weeks, he sets the agenda for what we are discussing here in Germany: whether it is support for Ukraine in one form or another, how successful Ukraine is, whether it can win the war or not."
"Time and time again this is an agenda imposed from outside by certain events. I am very angry about this story: among other things, because we have been dealing with only this topic for three days," he added.
The row began last Friday, when the 38-minute recording was published by Russian media. It featured four senior German military officers discussing the potential use of Taurus missiles in Ukraine, the supply of 100 such missiles and possible targets, including the Kerch Bridge.
It included the claim that the UK had 'people on the ground', which the country has repeatedly denied.
The German Defence Ministry subsequently confirmed the audio was genuine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz called it a 'very serious' security breach which would be 'investigated very carefully', while Pistorius himself claimed it was part of Russia's 'information war' and said it didn't mean there had been a 'green light' to send Taurus.
The Russian Foreign Ministry calls for Germany to provide 'answers', while Deputy Head of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev claimed it proved Germany was 'preparing for war against Russia'.
Scholz has consistently rejected calls to send Taurus missiles to Kiev. The leaked audio followed a major row between Germany and the UK last week, after the chancellor repeatedly claimed that the country, as well as France, was helping Ukraine with 'target control' of its missiles.
The chancellor's apparent revelations came while attempting to justify why the Taurus system would not be sent - because it required German troops on the ground.
Former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace criticised 'not only dangerous use of facts but also often wrong facts', describing Scholz as 'the wrong man, in the wrong job at the wrong time', while British Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Alicia Kearns also called it 'wrong, irresponsible and a slap in the face to allies'.
Mandatory credit: Federal Ministry of Defence
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius claimed that the country's military communications were 'not compromised' following last week's bombshell audio leak, while admitting that Moscow appeared to be controlling the agenda, during a briefing on Tuesday.
"Our communication systems have not been compromised," he stated, admitting that a version of the 'WebEx' software was used for the call but 'not the public WebEx platform', as well as 'additional security levels'.
"The reason that the phone call could still be recorded in the ranks of the Air Force is due to an individual application error," he continued. "A Russian spy or some other unauthorised person has not dialled into this WebEx conference."
Pistorius stated that one participant on the call had joined from Singapore 'virtually via an open connection'.
He also used the briefing to claim that the incident was evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin 'sets the agenda'.
"This is exactly what Putin wants to achieve," he claimed. "Over the course of several months or at least several weeks, he sets the agenda for what we are discussing here in Germany: whether it is support for Ukraine in one form or another, how successful Ukraine is, whether it can win the war or not."
"Time and time again this is an agenda imposed from outside by certain events. I am very angry about this story: among other things, because we have been dealing with only this topic for three days," he added.
The row began last Friday, when the 38-minute recording was published by Russian media. It featured four senior German military officers discussing the potential use of Taurus missiles in Ukraine, the supply of 100 such missiles and possible targets, including the Kerch Bridge.
It included the claim that the UK had 'people on the ground', which the country has repeatedly denied.
The German Defence Ministry subsequently confirmed the audio was genuine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz called it a 'very serious' security breach which would be 'investigated very carefully', while Pistorius himself claimed it was part of Russia's 'information war' and said it didn't mean there had been a 'green light' to send Taurus.
The Russian Foreign Ministry calls for Germany to provide 'answers', while Deputy Head of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev claimed it proved Germany was 'preparing for war against Russia'.
Scholz has consistently rejected calls to send Taurus missiles to Kiev. The leaked audio followed a major row between Germany and the UK last week, after the chancellor repeatedly claimed that the country, as well as France, was helping Ukraine with 'target control' of its missiles.
The chancellor's apparent revelations came while attempting to justify why the Taurus system would not be sent - because it required German troops on the ground.
Former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace criticised 'not only dangerous use of facts but also often wrong facts', describing Scholz as 'the wrong man, in the wrong job at the wrong time', while British Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Alicia Kearns also called it 'wrong, irresponsible and a slap in the face to allies'.