GERMANY said on Saturday that it would be carrying out an investigation following the leak of an audio recording that exposed top German military officers plotting to blow up the Crimean bridge.

In the 38-minute audio recording, posted to social media by the head of Russia’s RT media channel, Margarita Simonyan, on Friday, senior officers discuss destroying the bridge which links Russia to Crimea.

Ms Simonyan wrote on the Telegram messaging app that the conversation took place on February 19 and one of the officers mentioned a planned trip to Ukraine on February 21 to co-ordinate strikes on Russian targets.

In the recording, the senior officers can be heard plotting to assist Ukrainian forces to use German-made Taurus long-range missiles and their potential impact on the bridge.

A debate has been taking place in Germany over whether to supply the missiles as Ukraine continues to fight an increasingly losing battle against the Russians just over two years since the invasion.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking from Rome on Saturday, called the incident a “very serious matter” and said that German authorities were working to clarify the matter “very carefully, very intensively and very quickly.”

Earlier this week, Mr Scholz said that he remains reluctant to send the Taurus missiles to Ukraine, pointing to a risk of Germany becoming directly involved in the war. 

His hesitancy over the deployment has sparked friction within his three-party coalition.

Germany’s Ministry of Defence said that it was investigating whether communications within the air force were intercepted by Russia. 

In a statement carried by the DPA press agency, the ministry said: “According to our assessment, a conversation within the air force was intercepted. We cannot currently say with certainty whether changes have been made to the recorded or written version that is circulating on social media.”

The deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said on Telegram: “Our age-old rivals, the Germans, have again turned into our sworn enemies.”

He said: “Look, with what thoroughness and in such detail the [Germans] discuss striking our territory with long-range missiles, choose targets to hit and discuss how to inflict the maximum harm to our motherland and our people.”

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that the discussion betrayed the “cunning plans” of the German armed forces, which he said had committed “a blatant self-exposure.”

Germany is the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States and has already announced plans to step up its support this year.