Germany may transfer TAURUS missiles to Ukraine

7 August, 2023 TAURUS KEPD 350 cruise missile. Photo: South Korean Defense Ministry from Getty Images Germany may transfer TAURUS cruise missiles to Ukraine as part of military aid.

The head of the permanent delegation of Ukraine to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, People's Deputy Yehor Chernev made the corresponding statement. These air-launched missiles will allow striking Russian military infrastructure at long distances. According to the People's Deputy, the key parliamentary factions of the German parliament have reached a consensus on the possibility of transferring TAURUS missiles to Ukraine.

"My friends from the Bundestag have just informed me that the key parliamentary factions have reached a consensus on the transfer of TAURUS long-range missiles to Ukraine... We have been working with German parliamentarians for a long time to form a support group, and now, finally, the ice has broken," the People's Deputy emphasized.

A Taurus missile on a German Air Force fighter. Photo from open sources

Chernev added that he was waiting for an official decision on the delivery of missiles from Germany.

At the same time, according to the Bild publication, the German government refuses to supply Ukraine with these weapons due to fears that Kyiv may use missiles to strike Russian territory, as well as because the Bundeswehr has only 150 combat-ready TAURUS. At the end of May, the German publication Spiegel reported: Ukraine turned to Germany with an official request for the provision of TAURUS cruise missiles. The German Defense Ministry confirmed that it had received the Ukrainian request.

However, the department's spokeswoman did not specify details of this request, in particular, the number of TAURUS cruise missiles Kyiv expected to receive. According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also discussed missile deliveries in early May.

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

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 cruise missiles together with Franco-British Storm Shadow/SCALP EG, which are already used by Ukraine, will allow striking Russian military infrastructure at long distances.

TAURUS KEPD 350 cruise missile. Photo: Saab

TAURUS

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.