Scholz currently has no plans to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles, but may increase ammunition for Patriot air defense system

This information comes from sources within the German government, as per Bild.

Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius, Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock, and Minister of Finance Christian Lindner have expressed support for supplying these missiles to Ukraine. However, Chancellor Scholz has voiced opposition to this proposal.

According to Bild, Germany has not yet officially declined Ukraine's request for Taurus missiles, but they have privately conveyed that the delivery of these missiles is not planned at this time. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, however, has not ruled out this possibility for the future.

Simultaneously, Bild highlights that during bilateral negotiations, Ukraine has been assured that Germany is committed to enhancing its air defense capabilities and may authorize the provision of additional ammunition for the Patriot air defense system.

Media reports suggest that Scholz's reluctance to supply missiles may be rooted in concerns about potential military actions near the Crimean Bridge.

Taurus missiles for Ukraine

The Taurus KEPD 350/150 is a long-range air-to-surface cruise missile designed for precise strikes against heavily protected and buried targets, all while keeping the missile carrier outside of the enemy's air defense zone. The standard KEPD-350 model carries a tandem warhead weighing 481 kg, with approximately 50 kg of explosives. The missile itself has a total weight of 1,360 kg when fully loaded and 1,080 kg when empty. It boasts a minimum flight range of 500 km.

• In May, it was reported that Ukraine had asked Germany for long-range missiles.

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

• In early August, it was reported that the Bundestag had reached a consensus on the transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

• At the same time, the German newspaper Spiegel reported that Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to make technical modifications to the missiles to prevent Kyiv from striking Russian territory. 

• Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, spoke out against limiting the range of long-range Taurus missiles.

• On August 21, the German government’s spokesman reported that providing Ukraine with Taurus missiles is not on the agenda.

• On September 4, the head of the Bundestag Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, criticized German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for being the only one in the coalition to block the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.