Berlin has been mulling sending its advanced Taurus missiles to Kiev. However, the German government has resisted due to concerns the missiles could be used to attack Russia, and key components could fall into Moscow’s hands. To alleviate these concerns, Berlin may limit the range of the missiles before transferring them to Kiev.
The Taurus missile has a range of over 300 miles. Crucially, the munition can fly at low altitudes to avoid detection by radar and missile defense systems. Germany has 600 Taurus missiles in its stockpiles, with 150 ready for combat.
Kiev has been pushing Berlin for the missiles for several months, but German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has refused to budge. Der Spiegel, a German outlet, reports that Berlin could alter the missiles to reduce the risks of the transfer. German officials declined to confirm reports saying there were no updates on Berlin’s decision to provide the cruise missiles to Ukraine.
The German military is working with the manufacturer of the Taurus to limit its range so Kiev cannot use the cruise missiles for attacks inside Russia. Additionally, Berlin hopes to remove any sensitive components that Moscow could reverse engineer if Russian forces are able to capture a missile.
The White House made a similar decision when sending HIMARS launchers to Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal reported the Pentagon altered the launchers sent to Kiev to limit their range to 50 miles.
