Germany is scrambling to explain how Russian eavesdroppers hacked into a top-secret conference call to record a military meeting about Ukraine. Portions of the call were leaked to state-controlled RT newsleaving Berlin worried the Kremlin might later unleash even ‘juicier bits’, The Register reports.

Germany confirmed the legitimacy of the leak, recorded while high-ranking officials discussed Ukraine war efforts and armaments via Cisco's WebEx conferencing platform. The gaffe sparked ‘major concerns’ in Britain and France about Germany's security while dealing with its allies, the BBC said.

French newspaper Le Monde described Germany's eavesdropping scandal as an embarrassment: “The ‘wiretapping scandal’ has plunged the country into consternation. How was it possible that Russia, in the current geopolitical context, had access to a conversation between four high-ranking Luftwaffe officers, including its commander-in-chief, Ingo Gerhartz?”

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the Webex meeting was intercepted by Russia after a ‘mistake’ by a participant on the high-level conference call who dialed in from Singapore on an unsecured line, possibly a mobile phone or through the hotel WiFi. Although the investigation is ongoing, Pistorius claims Moscow likely tapped into the 38-minute call through widespread monitoring.

He earlier called the leak an act of ‘information war’ to undermine German unity.

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Russian Spies & Hackers

Russian intelligence sources reportedly provided the recording to RT and the audio rapidly spread online. RT identified two of the German military officials as Brigadier General Frank Graefe, head of Air Force Operations, and Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, Air Force Chief. Two others were on the call.

"According to our assessment, a conversation in the Air Force division was intercepted,” Berlin said in a statement. “We are currently unable to say for certain whether changes were made to the recorded or transcribed version that is circulating on social media."

RT claims the leaked recording is evidence that Germany intends to aid Ukraine in the destruction of the Kerch Bridge, a link between Russia and the annexed Crimea, and was contemplating delivery of Taurus long-range missiles to support Ukrainian offensives. The officials reportedly strategized on supplying the missiles discreetly to avoid direct implication in the conflict.

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Germany must explain the nature of the audio and that a failure to respond would be considered an admission of guilt.