Taurus missiles will not make it to the front. The Germans have too many concerns
Most Germans support Chancellor Olaf Scholz's decision not to supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles. In a poll conducted by the YouGov public opinion research institute on behalf of the DPA agency, 55 percent support the government's decision, and only 26 percent consider it to be wrong. The Ukrainians have been lobbying for this weapon for months, with it, they would have the ability to attack Russian positions from even hundreds of miles away.
10:38 AM EDT, October 18, 2023
The support for the chancellor's position is particularly strong among the voters of the right-wing AfD party - 79 percent. They are followed by supporters of the social democratic SPD - 59 percent, liberal FDP - 57 percent, Christian democratic CDU/CSU - 53 percent, and the Left - 49 percent. Among Green Party voters, 40 percent consider the decision to be correct, while 34 percent think it's a mistake.
"Help for Ukraine seen through the eyes of German citizens"
In early October, Scholz decided that he would not yet provide Ukraine with maneuvering missiles, which have a range of up to approximately 311 miles. Ukraine had asked for these weapons back in May, in order to be able to attack Russian positions far behind the front line. According to German politicians, this could contribute to the escalation of the conflict, and even cause Berlin to be drawn into participating in it.
39 percent of those surveyed by YouGov believe that military support for Ukraine is going too far. 29 percent think the amount of weapons being supplied is just right. 18 percent believe that the German government should provide Ukraine with even more weapons.
Among the equipment that Berlin has so far handed over to Ukraine are, among others, Leopard tanks, Marder infantry fighting vehicles, Bandvagn 206 transports, IRIS-T and Patriot air defense systems, Stinger missile launchers, and drones. Taurus maneuvering missiles have been the subject of hot discussions for several weeks, from which despite the pressure from Kiev and some allies, little has emerged.
Taurus maneuvering missiles, long-range weapon
Each Taurus missile measures over 16.4 feet in length, weighs around 3086 lbs, and has a MEPHISTO (Multi-Effect Penetrator, Highly Sophisticated and Target Optimised) warhead weighing about 1102 lbs. Its design means that depending on the target and the needs of the attackers, it can be detonated as a conventional fragmentation and blast missile or with a delay.
Countries other than Germany do not have similar concerns. The United Kingdom has provided Ukraine with Storm Shadow maneuvering missiles, which assisted in attacks on the Chongar Bridge and the shipyard in Sevastopol. Meanwhile, France has provided Kiev with SCALP-EG maneuvering missiles which are similar in design and capability. In both cases, their ranges are similar to what the German Taurus missiles offer.
This is not the only recent strain between Berlin and Kiev. In September, the magazine "Spiegel" reported about difficulties associated with delivering certain German Leopards to Ukraine. These were models requiring urgent repairs, which the Ukrainians refused to accept.
