Transfer by request: Moscow has no illusions about sending Taurus missiles to Kiev

How many weapons has Germany already provided to Ukraine

Russia admits that Germany will cross the "red line" and decide to send long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. This was reported to Izvestia by the Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechaev. He noted that Germany is upset by the course of the Ukrainian counteroffensive and thereby hopes to reverse the military situation in favor of Kiev. The opposition, represented by the Alternative for Germany and the Left parties, believes that the transfer of missiles to Ukraine will only exacerbate the conflict and bring Berlin closer to a direct clash with Moscow. Although Taurus missiles can create some problems for Russian air defense systems, in a matter of days this advantage will come to naught, experts are sure.

Another "Wunderwaffe"

Germany is increasingly calling for the transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, the range of which is about 500 km. Berlin has not yet officially made a final decision on this issue. However, Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechaev admits that the position of the German government may change soon.

— It should not be ruled out that Germany will cross this "red line". Illusions about a possible change in Germany's approaches to the Ukrainian conflict and a sudden awareness of the risks of escalation associated with the use of long—range missiles are difficult to feed," he told Izvestia.

Photo: Global Look Press/Karl-Josef Hildenbrand

Image source: iz.ru

The diplomat stressed that German politicians are disappointed with the course of the Ukrainian counteroffensive and therefore hope that another "Wunderwaffe" (miracle weapon) will be able to reverse the nature of hostilities in favor of Kiev.

— In Germany, they are upset by the stalling of the Ukrainian "counteroffensive". They cannot understand why the AFU fighters, trained according to NATO standards, equipped with modern Western equipment, using intelligence from the alliance countries, despite endless attempts to break through Russian defense lines, suffer huge losses and fail after failure on the battlefield," the ambassador explained.

Sergei Nechaev recalled that Russia condemns the pumping of Kiev with new types of deadly weapons and the transformation of Ukraine into a testing ground for Western military equipment, as this only delays the conflict and increases the number of victims.

The Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, is now on summer vacation. But it was during the holidays that members of the ruling Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) first spoke out for the transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Kiev. Prominent Social Democrats, Andreas Schwartz and Nils Schmid, made an appeal to the government. Earlier, this was discussed exclusively by representatives of the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP). The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which is currently in opposition, has also joined the ruling parties. Thus, Bundestag deputy Roderich Kiesewetter said that he plans to come up with a parliamentary initiative to increase pressure on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the issue of Taurus supplies to Ukraine.

The only parliamentary forces opposing this initiative are the "Left", which has the support of about 5% of voters, and the "Alternative for Germany", which in Germany is considered a "non—violent" party. The deputy from the ADG, Gerold Otten, told Izvestia that sending Taurus to Ukraine would be another step in the escalation of the conflict, since these missiles can be used to strike Russian territories.

Photo: REUTERS/Aleksander Ratushniak

Image source: iz.ru

— The AdG party adheres to the position that weapons should not be sent to this crisis region, and I, of course, oppose this. We must continue on the path of forcing peace as quickly as possible. And further sending of weapons leads to an aggravation of the conflict," the politician said.

Bundestag deputy Sevim Dagdelen, in turn, warned that the supply of Taurus missiles could bring Germany closer to a direct conflict with Russia.

How the US will decide

Ukraine is already actively delivering long-range missiles. Since July, France has been sending SCALPS to Kiev, which are capable of flying at a distance of 250 to 550 km. In May, the UK announced the delivery of similar Storm Shadow missiles. Their firing range exceeds 250 km. On August 10, the chairman of the Bundestag Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmerman (FDP), said that it was time for Germany to hand over cruise missiles to Kiev. At the beginning of the year, Berlin reluctantly approved sending Leopard heavy tanks to Ukraine, but in order to achieve this decision, many copies were broken. "Debates like the ones we staged over and over again last year must stop because of the drama in Ukraine," Zimmerman stressed.

As reported by German media, Ukraine officially requested permission to supply long-range missiles back in May. According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the missiles can approach the F-16 fighters that the West has promised to transfer to Kiev. The German Defense Ministry confirmed the fact of receiving the request. However, while the position of the Ministry remains unchanged: the delivery of Taurus is not considered a top priority and Germany is focused on sending Ukraine air defense systems, engineering and armored vehicles, as well as training Ukrainian soldiers.

On July 21, Germany announced a new package of military assistance for Ukraine. In particular, it included a thousand 155 mm artillery shells, two wheeled tractors for tanks, six patrol cars for border protection. Germany also promised to transfer additional 155 mm ammunition and missiles for the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system (SAM). On July 13, Germany sent Ukraine a new batch of military aid, which included the Gepard ZSU, equipment for IRIS-T SLM air defense systems. In addition, at the NATO meeting in Vilnius (July 11-12), German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised Ukraine additional Leopard tanks. In total, Germany has already sent almost 30 "Leopards" to Kiev. In general, since January 2022, Germany has transferred more than €7 billion worth of weapons to Ukraine, becoming the second largest supplier after the United States. The United States has sent about €43 billion to Ukraine.

However, the German media write that the decision on the Taurus will be made soon — active discussions are currently underway within the Social Democratic Party. According to the t-online portal, Olaf Scholz's office is currently making a decision while in contact with the United States — "Germany's most important NATO partner and Ukraine's largest supporter." German politicians expect that if Germany approves the Taurus shipment, the United States will simultaneously announce the transfer of ATACMS long-range missiles to Ukraine. This weapon has a range of up to 300 km. By the way, last time Germany decided to send "Leopards" only after the United States officially agreed to the transfer of Abrams tanks.

ATACMS

Image Source: Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Possible deliveries of Taurus and ATACMS missiles may at first create some difficulties for the Russian armed forces, experts say. Oleg Ponomarenko, a military expert at the Center for Strategic Conjuncture, told Izvestia that it would be very difficult to shoot down all the missiles.

— This is an additional burden on our missile and air defense systems. So far, similar Storm Shadow and SCALP weapons have been used in practice. We have seen that this is a serious weapon," the expert said.

However, despite the difficulties that Russian air defense systems may face, the Ukrainian army will receive only a temporary advantage. According to military expert Dmitry Kornev, in a matter of days, Russian calculations of anti-aircraft systems will gain additional experience, exchange it with other units and the status quo will be restored.

Semyon Boykov