British soldiers are “on the ground” in Ukraine helping Ukrainian forces fire Storm Shadow missiles, according to a leaked recording of a conversation between German military officers that was published by Russian media.
Germany confirmed the authenticity of the recording, and the British did not dispute the claim. The UK confirmed last week that it had a “small number” of troops inside Ukraine who are “supporting the armed forces of Ukraine.”
The UK first started shipping Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine last year, which marked a significant escalation of NATO support since they have a range of 155 miles, further than any other NATO-provided missile. France has also provided Ukraine with a French variant of the Storm Shadow, known as the Scalp missile, but doesn’t have troops helping with targeting on the ground, according to the leaked recording.
In the recording, Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, the head of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), described how the British assist Ukraine. “When it comes to mission planning, I know how the English do it, they do it completely in reachback. They also have a few people on the ground, they do that, the French don’t.”
Gerhartz was discussing the possibility of Germany providing Ukraine with Taurus missiles, which would double Ukraine’s strike capabilities as they can hit targets up to 300 miles away. In the conversation, the officers say Taurus missiles could likely be used to blow up the Kerch Bridge, which connects Crimea to the Russian mainland and has been attacked twice by Ukraine.
The Kremlin said that the leaked conversation “makes it clear that plans to carry out strikes inside Russia are under discussion” within the German military.
The leaked recording came after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suggested British and French troops were inside Ukraine. He made the comments while explaining his reasoning for not supplying Ukraine with the Taurus missiles, saying it would require a German troop presence to match the level of British and French support for Ukraine’s use of the Storm Shadows.
Scholz also said providing that kind of support would make Germany a direct party to the conflict since the Taurus missiles have such a long range and can be used to hit targets deep inside Russia.
The leaked recording also comes after French President Emmanuel Macron stirred an uproar by saying sending NATO troops to Ukraine shouldn’t be ruled out despite the obvious risk of a direct Russia-NATO war, which could quickly turn nuclear. His comments highlighted the fact that the presence of NATO special operations forces inside Ukraine has been an open secret.
Last year, the Discord leaks revealed that as of March 2023, 97 NATO special operations soldiers were inside Ukraine, including 14 Americans, 50 British soldiers, 15 French troops, 17 soldiers from Latvia, and one from the Netherlands.
The 10 Downing wanted to keep it secret, now when exposed they are hiding in bunker. They became legitimate Russian target – precision to street number.
Britain was very good at helping ignite World War I and World War II and then drawing the United States in to pay the bills and do the fighting. Let’s hope history isn’t repeating itself.
They are targeting civilians which is a war crime. They are relying more and more on terrorist tactics.
Yes, Russia is. Thanks.
They still had the benefit of the doubt, but instead they not only acknowledged and also affirming that compromising recording, are they mad? What’s the plan here?
The leaked German plan for terrorist attack on Russia is not funny. The really funny part is the German Minister blamed it on Putin. …No. I’m not kidding. Look it up.
Destroying a military supply route is terrorism now?
Bend over and KIZZ your AZZ good bye.
That bridge WILL be taken down at some point. Then what?
The Kerch bridge was opened for business on 15 May 2018. The land route was closed to Crimea by Ukraine in 2014. Do you think goods and people weren’t able to get into and out of Crimea before the bridge was built? That is the answer to your “Then what” question. Think more. Think better, O “Rational Thinker”.
And you believe that’s more efficient? You must be a Russian military expert!
Moving goods (and military supplies) by the overland route was better? Then why was the Kerch bridge built? Think more. Think better.
The bridge has undoubtedly increased the efficiency and reduced the cost of moving goods and people between Crimea and mainland Russia. That was the point of building the bridge. The land route to Crimea has been closed since 2014 by Ukraine, but has been reopened by Russian military advances. If the bridge were somehow to be effectively rendered unusable until after the end of this Ukro-Russian war, then the transport situation will revert back to the pre-2015 state, where goods and people will still be transported between Crimea and the Russian mainland over the water routes, but with the additional asset to the Russians of the land bridge through the Kherson region that is east of the Dniepr. If the Russians, in this scenario, need to increase the movement of men and supplies to Crimea, I’m confident they will find the necessary means. They ran a supply line to Leningrad over Lake Ladoga to Leningrad during WW2. Boats during the summer and trucks in the winter when the lake was iced over.
These observations don’t require any special expertise. Just common sense and the ability to look at a map and understand what it is showing you.
Think more. Think better, O “Rational Thinker”.
Yes. A land bridge that will be susceptible to attack. You ARE a Russian military genious!
The Kerch bridge is also susceptible to attack. Sevastopol is susceptible to attack. Susceptibility doesn’t mean that the land bridge to Crimea, or the Kerch bridge, or the port of Sevastopol can’t be used.
You’re not very good at this.
OK, dips**t. I’ll try to explain this as if I’m talking to a 6 year old:
Kerch bridge is most efficient. (That’s why it was built.)
Land bridge not as efficient. (Longer route. More fuel use. Frequent ambush or HIMARS.)
Port of Sevastopol has ALREADY been attacked and the fleet has moved.
I never said any/all routes couldn’t be attacked.
Ah, you’ve perceived my age. And you’re still outclassed.
Ask yourself the same question.
Better strategic position for Ukraine.
And the response will be what?
Options. Land bridge would be slower to resupply the southern theater. HIMARS the Russian supply convoys/trains. Possibly quite an advantage for Ukraine.
I’m talking about Russia’s response.
Ahhh…sorry.
Well, they haven’t done much with their air force and navy being decimated so, I don’t really know.
It always comes back to basically thinking Russia has shot its wad and we won’t see anything different no matter how close her ass gets to the wall. Not saying that isn’t the case but that ass hasn’t gotten close enough to find out as of yet. I don’t believe Russia will give up Crimea without us finding that out.
There are a lot of irrational thinkers also among western political elites. First they are making their decisions upon the belief that Russia is weak and hapless, then, when their plans fail miserably, they get frustrated and hysterical. Probably this pattern of decision making will prevail until the collapse of Western Civilization.
Well, that might be true but I’ll rely on self-preservation taking over at some point. Not positive but human nature does come into it many times.
The term “terrorism” has been degrading in value for decades, especially after 20 years of US wars in which attacks on clearly and unambiguously US military targets in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. were called “terrorism.” These days it pretty much means “anything the regime using the word doesn’t like.”
Bravo UK for venturing into eastern territories. This is as close as the Brits have ever gotten to Stalingrad. They are getting a taste of what they missed back then.
If you want to leak a secret to the Kremlin, just tell the Germans. Why Berlin is NATO’s weakest link
https://ukrainetoday.org/edward-lucas-if-you-want-to-leak-a-secret-to-the-kremlin-just-tell-the-germans-why-berlin-is-natos-weakest-link/
This major embarrassment for NATO has so far for the UK culminated in a landslide victory for George Galloway and rapid transition to talks about a Corbyn coalition going forward to bring “little rishi” down. The liver sausage, on the other hand, has to clean up a spectacular fail which has resulted in a lawsuit already.
Westerners, including me, are under the control of a totalitarian military dictatorship.
Military, banking hegemon over us.
So you do live in Russia.
Didn’t know that.
No. I live in a country that votes for selected people every fre years and the populationis so dumbed down they think endless war is natural and they live in a democracy.
The US is like Israel… Starve the people and shoot them when they approach food bait.
the Corporation is God, and the shareholders are the messengers of God..
So it was never “Russian disinfo” when Russia claimed French troops were killed.
US and Europe – land of the brainwashed. Rinse and repeat…
Has Europe already forgotten the horrors of WW-2? Especially Germany and Britain. WTF, “Express Elevator To Hell”, all over again. 🙁
Next year will be the 80th anniversary of the end of WWll.
My father, who fought in that war (Army) would be livid. His experiences made him a pacifist for the rest of his life. He spoke very little of it, and I did not prod, what he did reveal was harrowing. He saw action in the Middle East, North Africa, then France, specifically the Normandy invasion, then fighting on to Berlin.
I recently learned that on the street I grew up on there lived a family with two sons and a daughter. Both sons were killed in World War II. I never knew it.
It is remarkable how so quick German revanchism became a dominating political idea in Germany. When Germans saw an opportunity to gang up together with Anglo-Saxons and France against Russia, they couldn’t resist the temptation.
Please Russia send Russia’s Spetsnazto hunt down and eliminate any and all British, German, and American “contractors” who are military and CIA assets.
They did so well when they hunted Zelensky!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/02/zelensky-russia-ukraine-assassination-attempt-foiled/
Zelensky is such an incompetent clown that Russia is happy to leave him in power in Ukraine.
Don’t believe propaganda Zelensky has always been the chosen one by Russia due to his ability to mess things up.
Hahaha. OK. The rationalizing by you people is entertaining as hell!
Well, well, well. What have we here??? Let’s see. We are giving Kiev targeting information, demonstrating to the Kiev army lessons in how to fire off their new toys received from us, we pish poshed the Russian report of French soldiers dying in Ukraine (which has been verified by the British). Now, there are reports of British soldiers in Ukraine. There does not seem to be a good end here, folks. Anyone know the number of a firm that can manufacture a bomb shelter for me??
…And why am I not surprised…?!
“He doesn’t look like a leader”: former NATO Secretary General Rasmussen harshly criticized Scholz
https://ukrainetoday.org/he-doesnt-look-like-a-leader-former-nato-secretary-general-rasmussen-harshly-criticized-scholz/
he does look like a piglet, though, just like Merkel..
Who cares? “They’re all gonna die”, to quote Scott Ritter’s favorite phrase. According to Crooke, Russia already took out one of the alleged CIA installations cited in the New York Times with American losses. Can’t wait to hear the Russians have hunted down the rest.
If I were Putin, at this point I’d say, “All foreign military drones and military aircraft which approach eastern Ukrainian airspace within 500 miles will be shot down, whether in international airspace or not.” If that fails to dissuade, find the nearest NATO drone base or Storm Shadow base and bomb it with a Kinshal or Zircon.
The rules of the duel give Russia a free shot at England.
https://www.rt.com/news/593816-us-deputy-secretary-nuland-quits/
Victoria Nuland quits.
“She will be out from the US State Department within several weeks,” Antony Blinken has said.
I’m not suggesting she’s making a disastrous career move.
Is Biden nudging her out to prevent a nuclear escalation in her incapable hands? He may demand Lloyd Austin resign after his latest comments on NATO escalation in Ukraine.
The recent speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding nuclear escalation may have influenced Nuland to fold her hand. We’ll never know.
We could assume that Victoria Nuland wants to leave government service on a high note. Is she working on a peace plan with Russian diplomats and Hamas representatives?
It seems doubtful as Washington and Tel Aviv have little to no battlefield and economic leverage against their opponents.
Nuland needs to be placed in solitary and fed nothing but cookies and coffee. Burnt cookies.
Stuff her into an ICBM nose cone – cookies optional.
Nope. Let he ride the thing down. “Slim Nuland”……………..
“We could assume that Victoria Nuland wants to leave government service on a high note. Is she working on a peace plan with Russian diplomats and Hamas representatives?”
Her “high note” wouldn’t include any kind of peace plan.
She is a very much convenient scapegoat.
If Biden demanded A. Blinken and Lloyd Austin resign, that would elicit pulsating alarm bells across Europe and Washington.
Nuland is a convenient scapegoat. Biden has to be forcibly removed by November or other weapons will begin pulsating.
F….k the British and Genocide Joe.
Yeah! We need Trump smooching him some Putin a**!
Trump put even more and harsher sanctions on Russia than Obama did. Trump allowed the U.S. to give military aid to Ukraine. He never tries to stop the build up of NATO against Russia in Ukraine.
Corrupt, rapist, incompetent. Let’s not worship him too much.
Why would he?
Fck Genocide Putin.
According to Pistorius, the Russians are responsible for all the negative consequences because they listened in on a private conversation.
You just can’t make this shit up. The German defense apparatus is crawling with Idioten.