Germany's cautious stance leaves Ukraine without vital missiles
Volodymyr Zelensky once again asked Olaf Scholz for assistance with Taurus cruise missiles, whose capabilities we outline. However, as "Bild" reported, citing its sources, the German chancellor ignored this request.
"Zelensky has made no progress in implementing the two main demands of his victory plan. Therefore, from the Ukrainian point of view, the European route is a failure," said military and Ukraine expert Carlo Masala, as quoted by the German newspaper.
Germany ignores Kyiv's requests
The Ukrainian president sought Germany's support for a fast-tracked procedure for Ukraine's admission to NATO and the supply of Taurus cruise missiles to the frontlines. This weapon has been discussed in the context of the Ukrainian army for months, but previous requests were rejected, and the latest request was ignored.
According to the German newspaper, "Scholz did not say a firm no," but "there was also no positive response from him." Previously, some German politicians claimed that transferring these weapons was too great a risk. They provide immense destructive power and a long range, which means they could be used to strike targets located on Russian territory, potentially escalating the conflict. Additionally, there were suggestions that it would be necessary to send German soldiers to Ukraine to assist in using these cruise missiles. This was also seen by some German politicians as too far-reaching, which could be interpreted as Germany's involvement in the war.
Long-range missiles
Some other European countries do not share the same concerns as Germany. The United Kingdom and France are supplying Ukraine with Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG cruise missiles, which Ukrainians refer to as "weapons of victory".
Taurus cruise missiles have even greater capabilities. They feature a warhead weighing almost 500 kilograms (about 1,100 lbs) called MEPHISTO (Multi-Effect Penetrator, Highly Sophisticated and Target Optimised), which can be detonated like a classic high-explosive fragmentation shell or with a delay after penetrating a specified number of obstacles. This second option allows for effectively eliminating underground enemy positions. The destruction of bunkers using this weapon was recently demonstrated during exercises by the Koreans. The range of Taurus cruise missiles is estimated at about 500 kilometres (around 310 miles).
