Germany is preparing to transfer long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Find out what is special about this weapon, how it can change the situation at the front, and why russia is so afraid of German missiles

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Recently, a number of influential German media outlets reported that the federal government is ready to authorize the supply of long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine and is exploring ways to make this happen in the coming months. It is worth noting that this topic has been discussed for months, but the first progress has only just begun. 

Why is the German government against the transfer of Taurus missiles?

Germany is not ready to supply the missiles in a standard modification, because their range is more than 500 kilometers, which means they can hit targets in the deep rear of russia. Therefore, German officials propose to modify the missiles so that Ukraine can use them only to destroy targets in the occupied territories. 

The Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper also reports that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will agree to the transfer only after he receives confirmation that the missiles have been reprogrammed and are no longer able to hit targets in russia.

Taurus cruise missiles: what are the features and why does Ukraine need them?

The German Taurus missile is similar to the British Storm Shadow and French SCALP. They all have approximately the same weight, size, and flight speed. However, there is a significant difference that makes the German modification more efficient and more powerful. As David Aiks explains in his article for Forbes, the Taurus has a turbofan, instead of the usual turbojet engine, which blows air through the engine core, and thus the range of such a missile is longer.

Thus, the German Taurus will allow to effectively hit targets not only in eastern Ukraine but also in Crimea. In addition, the availability of a variety of long-range weapons will allow for combined attacks that russia will not be able to effectively repel. This opinion is confirmed by many experts, including Oleksandr Musienko, head of the Center for Military Legal Studies, who emphasized during the telethon that parallel launches of drones along with cruise and ballistic missiles could disorient the enemy.

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Why is russia afraid of the transfer of Taurus missiles?

The German-Swedish warhead design technology has certain peculiarities. For example, Fabian Hoffmann of the University of Oslo in an interview with American Newsweek called Taurus "a more effective weapon" for destroying bridges. Other Western experts share a similar opinion.

"The missile actually has two warheads - the first one explodes, removing a powerful obstacle on the way, such as the roadway on the bridge, activating the second warhead, which delivers a precise main strike, for example, on the bridge pillar," Markus Koypp, an analyst at the Military Academy of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, explained in an interview with the German ZDF TV channel.

As you know, the destruction of russia's logistics routes is currently one of Ukraine's top priorities. If russia is unable to supply shells, weapons, and reserves from Crimea, the entire line of russia's southern defense will be destroyed in the shortest possible time. For more information on how the destruction of the Crimean, Henichesk and Chongar bridges will affect the Ukrainian counteroffensive, please follow the link.

We remind you! Recently, the russian occupiers have been increasingly launching missile attacks on Ukrainian air bases located in the western part of the country. Find out more about the enemy's goals and why they keep trying to destroy the Ukrainian airbase in Starokostiantyniv in our previous article.

Photo: AP

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