Ukraine has officially asked Germany to provide Taurus cruise missiles - media

Ukraine has asked Germany to provide the Ukrainian army with long-range Taurus missiles. The Bundeswehr received the request a few days ago.

Spiegel writes about it. These missiles, with a range of up to 500 km, would allow Ukraine to hit enemy military infrastructure far beyond the front line.

The publication writes that the German Ministry of Defence has confirmed that it has received a request from Ukraine for the supply of Taurus cruise missiles. Earlier, German media reported on such a request.

"Ukraine has requested the supply of Taurus cruise missiles from Germany. The relevant request from the Ukrainian side was received in recent days, the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said. She did not provide any additional details about the letter, such as how many units Kyiv requested," the newspaper writes.

At the same time, Spiegel reminds that recently, a defence expert, Bundestag member from the Christian Democratic Union Roderich Kiesewetter, proposed to transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine. The deputy stressed that this would allow the Ukrainian army, which is repelling the Russian invasion, to "strike at Russian military infrastructure far beyond the front line".

"Defence Minister Boris Pistorius reacted cautiously to Kisevetter's proposal on Tuesday. But he also said he believed that "we must support Ukraine with all systems permissible under international law that are necessary to win this war and that we can provide," the newspaper writes.

The long-range Taurus missiles are similar to the Storm Shadow missiles previously provided to Ukraine by the UK and are capable of striking at a distance of 500 km. They are launched from fighter jets and find targets on their own. This guided missile can fly under radar. It is considered very effective against defended targets such as command bunkers or ammunition depots.

According to Spiegel, ten years ago, Germany purchased about 600 Taurus missiles for its armed forces. At the moment, about 150 of them are ready for use.

German experts, discussing the German government's possible approval of the transfer of Taurus to Ukraine, noted that there are opportunities to increase their production.

Earlier, it was reported that the Netherlands could provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets after pilot training. According to Bloomberg, in recent weeks, the Dutch government has initiated talks with US officials to put pressure on President Joe Biden's administration to get the green light for the delivery of the aircraft.

Currently, the Netherlands has 42 F-16s in service, 24 of which will be used by the country's armed forces by mid-2023.

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