Ukraine requests Taurus cruise missiles from Germany – Spiegel

A German Defense Ministry spokesperson confirmed that Ukraine had submitted a request asking Germany to supply long-range Taurus cruise missiles, Spiegel reports.

President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously discussed this matter with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his visit to Berlin in May, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. 

A request for a Taurus transfer came to Germany from the Ukrainian side in recent days.

Taurus cruise missiles with a range of up to 400 to 500 kilometers would be a very helpful contribution from Germany, German MP Roderich Kiesewetter said.

There must be no more red lines here, he added.

German Defense Minister Borys Pistorius cautiously commented on the proposal to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles.

UK's defense minister Ben Wallace believes that long-range Storm Shadow missiles allow Ukraine to partially compensate for the lack of modern fighter jets, which have not yet been provided to it.

The Taurus cruise missile is launched from a fighter jet and can deliver a 400-kilogram warhead over 500 km. According to the German media, it is considered effective for hitting protected targets such as command bunkers or ammunition depots.

The missile is a German-made analog of British Storm Shadow missiles.

The transfer of long-range missiles to Ukraine remains a controversial topic among allies. The UK in May became the first country to approve such shipments. Storm Shadow is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 250 km.

According to media reports, London demanded that Kyiv not strike deep into Russia. The US still has no plans to send its ATACMS missiles to Ukraine.