German soldiers participated in competitions with Russian troops: The Bundeswehr began an investigation.

Archery competitions, in which German and Russian military personnel participated, were subject to an investigation by the German Ministry of Defense. This was reported by the German publication Bild.

The events took place in Bangladesh at the end of February 2024 and were organized by the International Military Sports Association (CISM). The photograph shows Russian military personnel standing next to the head of the German delegation, Lieutenant Colonel Christian Lützkenndorf.

Lithuania expressed sharp criticism towards the German Ministry of Defense. Since 2022, the country has refused to participate in any events involving Russians. A representative of the Hybrid Threats Department of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense believes that Russia uses its participation in such competitions to achieve international recognition and circumvent sanctions.

“It is unclear why Germany and other countries, in the third year of the war with Russia, still behave as if there is no aggressive war being conducted by Russia against our eastern neighbors,” noted the Lithuanian representative.

The German Ministry of Defense stated that they had talked with the responsible parties and issued a warning to the German military. They stated that such photographs are “unacceptable.”

Bild conducted an investigation and found that German soldiers also participated in two other events with Russian military personnel: at the 79th General Assembly of CISM in Tanzania in May 2024 and in a basketball championship organized by CISM in June in Serbia.

The publication sent a request to the German Ministry of Defense and received a response that an investigation into the participation of German soldiers in such events with Russian and Belarusian colleagues had already begun in the summer. The German military office promised that if these facts are confirmed, the participation of German forces will be “principally canceled.”

We remind you, Ukraine has called for the exclusion of athletes supporting the war from the Wrestling World Championship.