German media reveal possible ‘secret reason’ for not transferring Taurus to Ukraine

Germany's hesitance to provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus cruise missiles might stem from “the complexities of its targeting systems,” German outlet t-online reports. Since May 2023, Ukraine has been urging Germany to transfer its Taurus missile to the country to intensify the disruption of Russia’s rear logistics. The German leadership, however, has been hesitant to decide on the Taurus supplies, citing various reasons for withholding Taurus from Ukraine – from "avoiding escalation" and entanglement in the war with Russia to concerns that the missiles "could strike Moscow." In a 20-minute briefing during a closed-door parliamentary defense committee meeting, Bundeswehr Inspector General Karsten Breuer outlined the intricate details behind operating these missiles, according to t-online. Breuer reportedly highlighted that "for the effective use of this missile, an enormous amount of data and a special computer system that only the Bundeswehr possesses are required." “These are not gigabytes or terabytes but extremely large and complex amounts of data that need to be processed by special technical systems,” t-online reported. The reports state that if Germany were to transfer Taurus to Ukraine, they would no longer be available to the Bundeswehr. “There would be a capability gap that would seriously affect the "operational capability of the German armed forces," t-online reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. The outlet also reported that there is a possibility of providing Kyiv with a "truncated" version of Taurus without the guidance system, which could complement “the less potent British Storm Shadow cruise missiles.” "After Breuer's speech, there was silence in the room. Even those who usually make loud demands had no more questions," an unnamed source told t-online. Another participant stated Breuer's briefing caused them to reconsider their position on providing Ukraine with cruise missiles. Read also:

• Cameron says UK ready to send more Storm Shadows to Ukraine if Germany sends Tauruses to UK
• Taurus leak reveals Germany’s dilemma as Europe awakens to new security reality
• Intercept of German generals planning Taurus strike on Crimean bridge: full translation