Bundestag reaches consensus on supply of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine - Ukrainian MP 

Yehor Cherniev, Ukrainian MP from the Servant of the People party, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on National Security and Defense, reported the information, citing his own sources.

According to him, these missiles can hit enemy targets in the southern part of the temporarily occupied Crimea.

"My friends from the Bundestag have just informed me that key parliamentary factions have reached a consensus on the transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. These missiles have a range of 500 kilometers and can cover all occupied territories, including the southern coast of Crimea," the politician wrote.

He emphasized that this decision is the result of a long work with German parliamentarians to form a support group.

Earlier, Defense Express reported that Germany's ruling Social Democratic Party, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has begun indicating its readiness to provide Ukraine with Taurus long-range cruise missiles under specific conditions. One condition stipulates that the missile transfer aligns with the United States.

Nils Schmid, spokesperson for the SPD faction on foreign policy, mentioned, "I do not rule out the possibility that in an alliance with the Americans we will also supply additional systems, such as Taurus," according to Deutche Welle on August 6.

Additional conditions involve ensuring Ukraine's independent targeting capability, avoiding direct Bundeswehr military involvement. SPD member Andreas Schwarz expressed support for Taurus missiles, stating, "The counteroffensive is stalled, Ukraine does not have a significant air force to support it. Therefore, only guided weapons remain, such as Taurus cruise missiles, with which the Ukrainian army can overcome minefields laid by the Russians and regain its territory."

According to Defense Express, “The following assumptions can be made from the above. It seems that official Berlin may already be preparing the ground for publicly raising the issue of the transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine in sync with the US transfer of ATACMS missiles.”

Reference: The Taurus KEPD 350/150 is a subsonic, long-range, air-to-surface tactical cruise missile for precision strikes and engagement of highly protected and buried targets without the missile carrier entering enemy air defense zones. The basic KEPD-350 model has a tandem concrete-piercing warhead weighing 481 kg and an explosive weight of about 50 kg. The weight of the refueled warhead is 1360 kg, and the empty weight is 1080 kg. The maximum flight range is at least 500 km.

• In May, the media reported that Ukraine had requested long-range missiles from Germany.

• At the end of June, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Germany did not intend to provide Ukraine with these missiles.