The German ambassador to the UK has said there is "no need to apologise" for security breaches which led to a call between top army officials being leaked by Russian sources, BBC reported.
Miguel Berger told BBC Radio 4's Today programme one of the participants had likely dialled in via an insecure line.
As a result, Russia was able to intercept the call, he said.
In the audio, officials can be heard discussing details of alleged British operations on the ground in Ukraine.
Miguel Berger hit back at criticism by former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who said Germany was "pretty penetrated by Russian intelligence" and "neither secure nor reliable".
"It is extremely unhelpful what Ben Wallace has done," Mr Berger said.
"This is what Russia wants."
The publication of the call was a Russian "hybrid attack", he added.
Berger also said German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius had called allies to explain Berlin's position over the leak.
He said preliminary results of an investigation by military intelligence showed that the leak was down to "an individual mistake by one of the officers".
The call had been intercepted because one of the participants had connected in an insecure way, he added.
bd-pratidin/GR
