German government may soon announce supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine – media
According to a German SPD MP, Taurus with their long range can be of great help to Ukraine in striking at Russian logistics.
The pressure on the federal government to deliver German cruise missiles to Ukraine is growing. According to Deutschland T-Online, the decision to supply Kyiv with Taurus missiles may be made in the near future.
Recently, in addition to the opposition, more and more politicians from the ruling parties have called for the transfer of Taurus guided missiles to Ukraine. However, so far the office has remained silent. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) said a few days ago that the delivery of the Taurus “is not our top priority right now.”
But according to the German publication, the decision now seems inevitable.
“As it has become known from SPD circles, the federal government wants to announce the supply of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine “soon”. The chancellery is currently working on a solution with the United States, Germany’s most important partner in the alliance and Ukraine’s biggest supporter,” T-online writes.
Several Social Democrats confirmed to the newspaper’s journalists that coordinated action, especially with the United States, is a prerequisite for the chancellor’s approval of new weapons systems for Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian army is currently mainly attacking supply routes and ammunition depots. The Taurus with their long range can greatly help Ukraine in these sensitive attacks on Russian logistics,” said the SPD MP.
Taurus cruise missiles
Taurus cruise missiles have a range of more than 500 kilometers, can destroy bunkers, and are considered difficult to intercept. The Bundeswehr has more than 600 Taurus systems, but only 150 are currently considered operational. Others can be repaired. It is not known how many cruise missiles the federal government intends to provide to Ukraine.
On August 10, the media reported that the UK was preparing new batches of missiles for Ukraine. According to journalists, 50 workers who assemble missiles for Kyiv are preparing a strike. However, the British Ministry of Defense believes that it will not affect the pace of arms supplies to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In addition, on August 9, Germany confirmed the transfer of additional Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine. Ukraine will also receive five more armored repair and recovery vehicles and two training tanks.