The authorities in Germany stated on Saturday that they are currently conducting an investigation into an audio recording. This recording supposedly features German military officers discussing the possibility of providing assistance to Ukraine, possibly through the utilization of Taurus missiles. The recording was published in Russia.

The Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, remarked that the situation in Rome on Saturday was of great importance. He stated that German officials are diligently and expeditiously working to resolve and understand the situation. His statements were reported by Germany’s dpa news agency.

During the 38-minute audio, discussions among military officials revolve around the potential utilization of Taurus long-range cruise missiles by Ukraine. In Germany, a dispute has arisen over providing these missiles to Ukraine, as they face challenges in battle following two years of war and with the delay of military assistance from the United States due to Congressional hold-ups.

At the beginning of this week, Scholz expressed his reservations about supplying Ukraine with Taurus missiles due to concerns over Germany’s potential involvement in the war. This reluctance has caused tension within his coalition of three parties and has been met with disapproval from the conservative opposition in Germany.

However, the alleged audio recording reveals that German officers are discussing the potential of the missiles being deployed in Ukraine.

The Ministry of Defense in Germany is conducting an investigation into potential interception of air force communications by Russia. In a statement released by dpa, the ministry stated that “based on our analysis, it appears that a conversation within the air force was intercepted. It is unclear if any modifications were made to the version that has been circulating on social media.”

Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of RT, a TV channel financed by the Russian government, shared the recording on a social media platform.

“In this (…) recording, high-ranking Bundeswehr officers discuss how they will bomb (attention!) the Crimean bridge,” she wrote on the Telegram messaging app, adding that the conversation took place on February 19. Within the conversation, she said, one of the officers mentioned a planned trip to Ukraine on February 21 to coordinate strikes on Russian targets.

Germany has become the second largest provider of military assistance to Ukraine, following closely behind the United States. The country plans to increase its support for Ukraine this year. However, the process of providing Taurus missiles, which have the capability to reach up to 500 kilometers and potentially target areas deep into Russian territory, has been delayed by Scholz for several months.

The Chancellor has consistently expressed his determination to aid Ukraine without increasing hostilities and involving Germany and NATO. He has made it clear that there will be no deployment of German troops to Ukraine.

During a meeting of the Party of European Socialists in Rome on Saturday, Scholz stated that we will not be sending soldiers from Europe to Ukraine. Our goal is to avoid a conflict between Russia and NATO, and we will do everything in our power to prevent it.

On Monday, the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, stated that there is a possibility of Western military forces being sent to Ukraine, but this idea was immediately rejected by other allied nations such as Germany and Poland.