Ukraine War Gets Serious: Germany Gives Ukraine Powerful Taurus Missiles

Key Points – Germany, under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has confirmed it will provide Ukraine with a new €5 billion military aid package that includes long-range Taurus KEPD 350 air-launched cruise missiles, with transfers planned for this year.

-This decision marks a significant policy shift, following Germany and the US quietly backing Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory with Western-supplied weapons.

-The Taurus, with its >500 km range and precision-guided, hardened-target-penetrating warhead, will enhance Ukraine’s ability to hit high-value Russian military assets far behind the front lines.

-Russia has condemned the move as a “very dangerous trend.”

Taurus: Meet the German Cruise Missiles Allowing Ukraine to Strike Deep Into Russia

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday that his government would provide additional military aid worth €5 billion (£4.2 billion). In a follow-up interview on German television, the chancellor indicated that long-range Taurus missiles would form part of the new package, with plans confirmed to facilitate the transfer of the armaments this year.

“Of course, it is within the realms of possibility,” Merz told TV channel ZDF.

The comments come after Merz announced earlier in May that Germany would no longer oppose Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory using NATO-supplied long-range missiles, and after the Trump administration quietly backed the idea.

Germany has also pledged to assist Ukraine financially in its efforts to manufacture its own long-range missile systems, a move that could allow Ukraine to launch more ambitious attacks against Russia with a smaller risk of Moscow declaring the attacks a NATO escalation.

Moscow is not taking the news lightly, however, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov describing the development as a “very dangerous trend” and slamming Germany as “irresponsible.” Peskov also indicated that Moscow believes the new aid package could pose a “serious obstacle to further attempts at a peace settlement.”

Why the Taurus Missile Matters

The Taurus KEPD 350 is a German-Swedish air-launched cruise missile that, once delivered, would bolster Ukraine’s capacity to conduct precision strikes deep inside Russian territory at a time when Ukrainian officials appear to be more focused on fighting a “high-tech war of survival.”

While Kyiv may be hesitant to use the missiles as part of new offensives on the same scale as its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August 2024, which eventually saw Russian forces take back control of the territory, the delivery of the weapon marks an escalation in the conflict. The missiles would also allow the Ukrainian armed forces to launch precision attacks against Russian military assets, including arms manufacturing facilities.

Developed by Taurus Systems GmbH, a joint venture between Germany’s MBDA Deutschland and Sweden’s Saab Bofors Dynamics, the 20-year-old missile boasts a range exceeding 500 kilometers. The missile also features a 481 kg dual-stage warhead designed for penetrating hardened targets, along with advanced navigation systems that include GPS, inertial navigation, and image-based navigation technology.

Germany currently maintains an inventory of approximately 600 Taurus missiles, and in 2024, plans were announced to procure an additional 600 advanced versions of the weapon, known as “Taurus Neo,” at a cost of €2.1 billion. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2029, suggesting that the offer under consideration is likely motivated less by immediate stock replenishment and more by the missile’s strategic value. Germany is expected to send only a small fraction of its existing arsenal to Ukraine.

The missile’s long range and precision make it particularly suitable for Ukraine to target high-value military assets deep within Russian territory, assisting in the disruption of supply lines.

The news marks a significant shift in Europe’s stance on supplying long-range weaponry to Ukraine. In the early years of the conflict, through 2022 and 2023, European leaders remained hesitant to provide this kind of weaponry over fears that Ukrainian strikes on targets within Russia, using NATO-supplied kit, could be perceived by Moscow as proxy attacks by NATO.

About the Author:

Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.

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