German politicians call on government to provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles

This is reported by DW.

Kiesewetter noted that the Bundeswehr has 600 Taurus missiles in service, of which about 450 are not ready for use in combat. Instead, they can be modernized by MBDA and prepared for shipment to Ukraine.

Marсus Faber, an expert from the Free Democratic Party, which is part of the governing coalition, reminded that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been successfully using Storm Shadow missiles supplied by the UK. According to him, this shows the importance of this type of weapon for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression.

In addition, Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, asked "this time to shorten the discussion part and thus save human lives." He recalled the long debate in Germany over the provision of other weapons, including Leopard tanks.

Despite calls from German politicians, the country's Defense Ministry confirmed its refusal to supply missiles to Ukraine. The ministry spokeswoman pointed to a statement by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who made it clear that there would be no Taurus supplies to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

For 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 1,360 kg, and the empty weight is 1,080 kg. The maximum flight range is at least 500 km.

German Taurus for Ukraine

Fabian Hoffmann, a missile expert at the University of Oslo, told reporters that Russia does not have the means to intercept the Storm Shadows cruise missiles that Ukraine has already received from the UK. However, to change the course of the war, Ukraine needs many such missiles.

On May 23, it was reported that a representative of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) said that Kyiv should receive everything that NATO uses. And also what does not contradict international law. The politician was convinced that providing Taurus missiles to Ukraine would be much more rational than storing them in warehouses in Germany.

Subsequently, the media reported that Ukraine had made an official request to Germany to provide it with Taurus long-range cruise missiles. The German Ministry of Defense confirmed the receipt of the request, without specifying how many missiles Kyiv was counting on.

On June 5, the German government considered changing its position on the supply of Western F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. Nevertheless, Pistorius said that there are no plans to supply Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine in the near future.

On June 26, the German Defense Minister said that his country had not changed its decision and would not supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles because of fears that they could be used to strike at Russian territory.

Yehor Cherniev, MP from the Servant of the People party and deputy chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, said that Germany explains its refusal to provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus air-to-surface cruise missiles by the lack of aircraft in the Ukrainian Armed Forces that can carry these weapons.