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Miguel Berger presented his credentials to Queen Elizabeth II via secure video link in 2022
Germany's ambassador to the UK said there was “no reason to apologize” for security breaches that led to Russian sources leaking a call between senior army officials.
Miguel Berger told BBC Radio 4's Today program that one of the participants was probably dialed in via an insecure line.
As a result, Russia was able to intercept the call, he said.
In the audio recording, officials can be heard discussing details of alleged British operations on the ground in Ukraine.
Mr Berger was responding to criticism from former British defense minister Ben Wallace, who said Germany was “quite penetrated by Russian intelligence” and was “neither safe nor reliable”.
“It is extremely unhelpful what Ben Wallace did,” Mr. Berger said.
“That’s what Russia wants.”
The publication of the call was a Russian “hybrid attack,” he added.
Mr. Berger also said that German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had called allies to explain Berlin's position on the leak.
He said preliminary results of a military intelligence investigation showed the leak was due to “an individual error by one of the officers.”
The call was intercepted because one of the participants connected in an insecure way, he said.
“I think this is a good lesson for everyone: never use the Internet in the hotel if you want to make secure phone calls,” Mr. Berger advised listeners of the “Today” show.
In the leaked recording, four senior German military officers can apparently be heard discussing the possibility that Ukraine could use German-made Taurus cruise missiles to hit the Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia to the Crimean peninsula, which was illegally opened by the Russian Federation in 2014 Ukraine was annexed.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly ruled out sending Taurus rockets to Ukraine.
Mr. Berger said Mr. Scholz was cautious about extending support to Ukraine so as not to cause “consequences that we all don’t want to see.”
Germany's delivery of Taurus missiles to Ukraine would create “escalation potential,” he said.
The missiles have a range of about 500 km (300 miles) – enough to potentially hit Russian territory.
Ambassador Berger said the allies' focus must be on supplying Ukraine with sufficient ammunition.
Kiev said it was losing ground to Russian forces, partly due to dwindling ammunition supplies.