Russia hacked conference call after German officer used unsecured phone line

German defence minister Boris Pistorius gives a press statement on the status of an investigation into the German military audio that was leaked by Russia (Michael Kappeler/AP)

A German military officer used an unsecured phone line at a Singapore hotel to join a conference call that was hacked by Russians and leaked to the public, Germany’s defence minister said Tuesday.

The fallout from the leaked audio tape, which features four high-ranking German air force officers discussing hypothetically how Taurus long-range cruise missiles could be used by Kyiv against invading Russian forces, has embarrassed the German government and further increased tensions between the two countries.