Germany has declined to join the UK in shipping long-range, air-to-ground missiles to Ukraine.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Germany does not plan to supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles but “may reconsider its position” on providing modern Western fighter jets.
“Germany will not hand over long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine at the moment,” Pistorius said.
The Taurus is a precision-guided missile has a range of 500 km (311 miles) and is able to destroy major underground facilities, including bunkers, with pinpoint accuracy. The missile is equipped with stealth characteristics that will allow it to avoid radar detection before hitting targets. The missile also includes counter measures as a self-defence mechanism and electronic counter measures.
Taurus is a product of TAURUS Systems GmbH, a joint venture between MBDA Deutschland GmbH and Saab Dynamics AB for the development, production and global marketing of the Taurus stand-off missile family for precision strike.
Ukraine has asked Germany for Taurus cruise missiles to carry out its long-anticipated counteroffensive. Kyiv says it needs more weapons, including long-range missiles, to defend itself against Russian attacks and re-capture its occupied territory.