According to a 38-minute audio recording posted on Friday by Margarita Simonyan, the chief editor of Russia Today, German officers discussed a plot to supply missiles to Ukraine and strike the Crimean bridge.

In the recording, discussions can be heard on the possible use by Ukrainian forces of German-made Taurus missiles and their potential impact. Other topics include aiming the missiles at targets such as a key bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland over the Kerch Strait.

Experts consulted by Der Spiegel magazine said they believed the recording was authentic.

Kyiv has long been clamoring for Germany to provide it with Taurus missiles, which can reach targets up to 500 kilometers away.

Speaking at a diplomatic forum in Türkiye on Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the recording indicates that Ukraine and its backers "do not want to change their course at all and want to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield.".

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova demanded that Germany "promptly" provide explanations for the discussion.

"Attempts to avoid answering the questions will be regarded as an admission of guilt," she said.

The German Defense Ministry on Saturday said it was checking whether a confidential video conference on the Ukraine conflict had been wiretapped after a recording was posted on Russian social media.

"We are investigating whether communications in the air force sector were intercepted," a spokeswoman for the ministry said.

(With input from AFP)