Ukraine submitted a request for TAURUS missiles to Germany

27 May, 2023 TAURUS KEPD 350 cruise missile. Photo: Saab Ukraine turned to Germany with an official request to provide TAURUS cruise missiles.

The German Spiegel reported on this. The German Defense Ministry confirmed that it had received the Ukrainian request. According to the media, the spokeswoman of the German Ministry of Defense reported that the request from the Ukrainian side was received within the last few days.

However, she did not specify details of this request, in particular, the number of TAURUS cruise missiles Kyiv expects to receive.

TAURUS KEPD 350 air-launched cruise missile. Photo credits: Saab

According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also discussed missile deliveries in early May. TAURUS air-launched cruise missiles will allow striking Russian military infrastructure at long distances.

Previously, in Germany offered to hand over German TAURUS cruise missiles to the Defense Forces of Ukraine. The Bundestag MP Roderich Kiesewetter commented in favor of supplying German cruise missiles. He is one of the most influential German MPs in the field of security and defense and those continuously supporting Ukraine.

TAURUS KEPD 350 cruise missile.

Photo credits: Saab

He emphasized that TAURUS cruise missiles with a range of up to 500 kilometers could be a "very useful contribution from Germany" and "there should be no more red lines here." Kiesewetter emphasized that it would be much more reasonable to use these guided missiles in Ukraine than to store them in Germany. Spiegel also noted that German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had a restrained response to Kiesewetter's proposal. However, he also stated that he is of the opinion that Germany should support Ukraine with all weapons systems permitted by international law necessary to win this war and which the allies are able to provide.

TAURUS cruise missile

TAURUS KEPD 350 cruise missile.

Photo credits: Militarnyi

The TAURUS KEPD 350 air-launched cruise missile is designed to inflict high-precision damage on protected enemy targets at a range of up to 500 km.

The missile of 1,400 kg in weight and 5 meters in length was developed by Taurus Systems GmbH, a joint venture between MBDA Deutschland and the Swedish company Saab Bofors Dynamics AB.

Germany has ordered 600 Taurus missiles for its air force.