Russia-Germany Tensions Mount Over Military Drills, Bomb Scares

Photographs of a Russian military drill have resulted in some tense exchanges between Germany and Russia after the images were discovered to depict Russian bombs bearing anti-Germany slogans that hark back to the WW II-period.

Russia Conducts Drills In Kaliningrad Oblast

The Russian Navy organized military drills in the Baltic Region in early August 2015. Staged by the Russian Navy Baltic Fleet, the exercises were organized at the Chernyakhovsk airbase and were marked by the presence of the Baltic, the Black Sea, the North and the Pacific fleets.

Military strategists have noted that the recent naval aviation military exercises are interesting in that the Antonov An-26 military transport aircraft to which the bombs in question were attached has not been used for these kinds of drills for the past two decades. The recent exercise marks the first of its kind in twenty years.

The An-26 and the Su-24 aircrafts as well as the Mi-24 and the Ka-27 helicopters were used in the live firing operations. And even as an old aircraft was used for the bomb-dropping drills, the ammunition itself is what is at the heart of the current debate.

Another factor that has contributed to the speculation on the issue is the fact that the drills were conducted at a distance of only 500 kilometers from Berlin, the German capital.

A Closer Look – Propaganda Or Poor Taste?

With legends like “To Berlin!” and “For Stalin” inscribed on the bombs, the photographs have created widespread panic and alarm in the German media. Many German civilians commenting on various social media platforms have expressed concerns that the incident might be an indication of a new Cold War taking root.

The photographs were accessed from the website of the Russian Navy portal, Flot.com. Allegedly taken during the course of the recent naval aviation drill, the photographs depict the slogan-bearing bombs attached to an Antonov An-26 military transport aircraft.

Whether the photographs- and the reactions emerging in response- are manifestations of propaganda on either side or just actions in poor taste, one thing is clear: the likeness to the attitudes and atmosphere of World War II is not easily palatable. The German media, in particular, has raised the issue of the same slogans being used by the Soviet Red Army to rally troops during its march on Germany. The incident raises uncomfortable memories and questions, and as such, has created something of a stir.

The German Media Responds

The German newspaper Bild was the primary publication to carry news of the slogan-bearing bombs. Bild, described as a significant political influencer, has been quick to criticize the images, stating that they provide “bitter insight into of the Russian reality of 2015.”

The German tabloid also claimed that the photographs might be “a hoax” that is the work of a “Putin-trained Luftwaffe”.

Russia Rubbishes Allegations, Says There’s No Cause For Concern

While speaking to the Russian news agency Sputnik News, a member of the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that German concerns and accusations pertaining to the slogans being an act of malice are completely unnecessary. “Neither while being stored in warehouses, nor, moreover, during any training or otherwise exercises had any inscriptions whatsoever been put on any ammunition,” the official was quoted to have said.

Other officials speaking for the Defense Ministry have stated that the photographs are “”stupidity, photoshop, or simply a desire to play with the topic of anti-Russian sentiments”. While the debates about the authenticity of the photographs and the facts behind the inscriptions continue to invite different positions, the current editor-in-chief of the website they were procured from, Flot.com, has stated that the pictures were indeed taken during the drills at Kaliningrad Oblast. Mr. Sergei Sochevanov, the editor-in-chief, has also attested that the slogans were inscribed onto a training aircraft bomb.

Elsewhere, Russia Seeks Reparations

In other news, the two countries have been in the media recently as Russia has claimed reparations from Germany for World War II. Seeking redresses for the German action in the USSR in 1941, the LDPR segment of Russia’s parliament is asking that Germany extend Russia the same courtesies it has to countries such as Israel, which were not participatory to the Second World War. As per the views expressed by Mikhail Degtyarev, a LDPR candidate, Germany should pay Russia a minimum of 3 to 4 trillion euros as per current present-day estimates.

While public and government sentiment in Russia is in agreement with these claims, most experts are of the opinion that they are not practically viable in the modern political and economic climate. Many have stated that the claims, rooted in emotion, are unlikely to find any takers in the German government.

The demand for reparations hasn’t come in a complete political vacuum, as many would suggest. They are in quick succession to the sanctions that have been imposed on Russia by the United States and the European Union following the Russian annexation of Crimea and the crisis in Ukraine.

Germany has notably sided with the United States and the European Union in its criticism of Russia’s actions in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. The recent case of the photographs and the outrage they have ignited is yet another aspect of the relationship between the two countries turing sour.