Kyiv claims Russian bridge explosion – DW – 03/04/2024

The Kremlin has said that a leaked recording of German Bundeswehr officers shows the “direct involvement” of the West in the war in Ukraine.

Officers were heard discussing potential Ukrainian strikes on the Kerch Bridge that links the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian mainland, which prompted Moscow to summon Germany’s ambassador for an explanation.

The discussions “once again highlight the direct involvement of the collective West in the conflict in Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

“The recording itself suggests that the Bundeswehr is discussing substantively and specifically plans to strike Russian territory,” he said.

“This does not require any legal interpretation. Everything here is more than obvious.”

Peskov said it was not clear whether the German military was acting on its own initiative or if the talks reflected state policy.

“Here we have to find out whether the Bundeswehr is doing this on its own initiative. Then the question is: how controllable is the Bundeswehr and how much does [German Chancellor Olaf] Scholz control the situation? Or is it part of German government policy?” Peskov said.

“Both [scenarios] are very bad. Both once again emphasise the direct involvement of the countries of the collective West in the conflict around Ukraine,” he stressed.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has summoned Germany’s ambassador following the leaking of confidential talks between Bundeswehr officers.

On Sunday, Berlin accused Moscow of trying to “destabilize” Germany by publishing the recording.

In the recording, German army officers discuss possible deliveries of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, as well as a potential Ukrainian strike on the Kerch Bridge that links the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula to the Russian mainland.

Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014.

“The German ambassador arrived at the Russian foreign ministry, where he was summoned in connection with the publicized conversation of German officers about Crimea,” Russian state-run agency RIA Novosti said.

A railway bridge in the southwestern Samara region in Russia has been damaged due to an explosive device, Ukrainian military intelligence and the Russian state-owned TASS news agency said on Monday.

Russian railway authorities said that traffic over the rail bridge had been suspended.

Ukraine claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the bridge was being used to transport “military cargo.”

“A railway bridge over the Chapaevka River in Russia’s Samara region was blown up. On 4 March 2024, at around 6:00 am (0200 GMT), the bridge was damaged by blowing up its support structures,” Ukraine’s military intelligence said.

“Given the nature of the damage to the railway bridge, its use will not be possible for a long time,” it added.

Russia was using the railway line to bring ammunition to the town of Chapayevsk, according to Kyiv.

sdi/ab (AFP, Reuters, dpa, AP)