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Modern, incredibly fast and extremely deadly, the Taurus guided missile could give Ukraine new impetus in its fight for freedom against Russia. In recent weeks, the war in Eastern Europe has increasingly developed into a trench war. Experts fear a Russian winter offensive.
In our neighboring country there has been talk for months about the supply of cruise missiles. So far, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, 65, has hesitated to go ahead with what he sees as a risky arms shipment.
This is the German weapons plan
But now things are moving and there are signs of change. For this purpose, the Germans want to use a trick that is already known from other arms deliveries. The magic word is: ring exchange.
According to information from the German news agency, there are considerations about the supply of the Bundeswehr’s Taurus cruise missiles to NATO partners such as Great Britain and France. The Handelsblatt, citing diplomats and government representatives, reported that Britain had already offered to supply Ukraine with more of its Storm Shadow cruise missiles in exchange for Taurus. The chancellery in Berlin has so far remained silent about the plan.
This is how the Taurus rocket works
Ukraine officially asked the German government for Taurus cruise missiles in May last year. The 1.5-ton missiles, which can reach a speed of up to 1,170 km/h and are about five meters long, can hit targets up to 500 kilometers away with great precision. They are dropped by fighter jets and then independently find a predetermined target using four different navigation systems. Image and infrared sensors support navigation.
The bunker breakers are equipped with two explosive charges. On impact, the first charge shoots a hole in the surface. Shortly afterwards, the second explosive charge unleashes a devastating explosion using approximately 110 kilos of explosives.
Taurus: That’s why Scholz is hesitant so far
Britain and France have already supplied cruise missiles of a similar type to Ukraine. However, these are not considered as accurate as the Taurus and also have a shorter range.
At the beginning of October, Scholz decided not to deliver any of these cruise missiles to Ukraine for the time being. The fear behind this is that Russian territory could also be affected.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (42) tried to allay German concerns in an interview with the Springer press on Wednesday. “We don’t need Taurus to attack Moscow,” he explained. He reiterated that Ukraine instead needs the weapon system to destroy Russian military infrastructure on Moscow-occupied Ukrainian territory.
Germany currently has 600 Taurus missiles. A copy costs the equivalent of about 900,000 francs. According to German information, about 150 of the missiles are ready for use.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
