Ukraine wants Germany to provide missiles with a range of 500 km

The German Defense Ministry said Ukraine has asked Berlin to supply Taurus air-to-surface missiles with a range of about 500 km.

"We have received a request from Ukraine in recent days," a German Defense Ministry spokesman said today, confirming the information published earlier by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper, but without giving details.

If implemented, Germany would be the second country to publicly supply long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, after Britain announced on May 11 that it was transferring Storm Shadow missiles, with a range of more than 250 km, to Kiev. Russia said it would take all necessary measures to neutralize the threat from Storm Shadow, while warning that Britain would be responsible for any consequences of this escalation.

The news comes as Ukraine prepares for a large-scale counter-offensive to retake Russian-controlled areas. Ukrainian officials have said they will launch the operation when the time is right, claiming the counter-offensive will cause "all of Russia to panic."

Taurus Missile. — Taurus air-to-ground missile. Photo: *Saab*

Taurus is an air-to-surface missile produced by a joint venture between Germany's MBDA Deutschland and Sweden's Saab Dynamics, with a range of about 500 km and a warhead weighing 400 kg. It is considered an effective weapon against protected targets such as command bunkers or warehouses located deep behind the front lines.

The US is still refusing to provide the 300 km range Army Combat Aircraft Missile System (ATACMS) to Ukraine, due to concerns that Kiev could use this weapon to attack targets on Russian territory.

Germany is the second largest military aid donor to Ukraine, after the United States, with a value of more than 2.4 billion USD in 2022. The country has transferred 18 Leopard 2 main battle tanks, 40 Marder armored vehicles, 5 MARS II rocket launchers, 14 PzH 2000 self-propelled guns and many other types of weapons and equipment to Kiev.

Germany announced in mid-May that it was preparing a record military aid package for Ukraine worth nearly $3 billion. The package is expected to include air defense systems, Leopard 1 tanks, armored vehicles and surveillance drones. Berlin remains cautious about supplying fighter jets and air-to-ground missiles to Kiev.

Nhu Tam (According to Reuters, AFP )

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