What is known about Taurus missiles and when Ukraine will receive them

High-precision German Taurus missiles will allow the Ukrainian Armed Forces to hit targets deep behind the front line and will be a big problem for the Russian occupiers' air defense. The issue of their transfer to Ukraine may be resolved in the Bundestag shortly.

Read more about the characteristics of the Taurus missile and how it can affect the course of hostilities in the RBC-Ukraine article below.

"The ice has broken". Will Ukraine get Taurus?

The German government has been discussing Taurus missiles for Ukraine for several months now.

After Britain decides to supply the Ukrainian Armed Forces with Storm Shadow missiles with a range of 250 km, one of the Bundestag members called in the spring for the start of deliveries of German long-range Taurus missiles with a radius of up to 500 km. Ukraine officially requested this type of weapon from Germany but was denied.

On August 3, Defense Minister Borys Pistorius said that the transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine was not a priority and was not necessary. At the same time, he mentioned the United States, which has not yet decided to supply long-range ATACMS missiles.

According to Bild, one of the arguments why Berlin refuses to supply Taurus is the fear that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will use these missiles to strike at Russian territory.

At the same time, support for the transfer of these long-range missiles has been growing among Bundestag members in recent weeks. The ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Chancellor Olaf Scholz has changed its position and is in favor of supplying Taurus to Ukraine.

In addition, today, the head of Ukraine's permanent delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Yehor Chernev, said that the "ice has broken" - Bundestag members have reached an agreement to transfer long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. An official decision is now expected.

It is known that the Bundeswehr has 600 Taurus systems in service, of which 150 are suitable for use.

As previously noted by a deputy of the opposition CDU party, who is in favor of the missiles, although 450 of them are not operational, they can be modernized for export.

How Taurus will help the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the battlefield

The Taurus air defense missile is called an analog of the British Storm Shadow and French SCALP missiles, which are already in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

However, the German missile has a much longer range - up to 500 km. This will allow strikes on military infrastructure in the deep rear of the territories captured by Russian troops. The Taurus's range covers all occupied territories, including Crimea.

Proponents of the Taurus transfer to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Germany say that with the help of German cruise missiles, Ukrainian troops will be able to overcome minefields set up by the Russians and recapture the territory.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 08/08/2023