According to a source in the President's Office, Ukraine has already received long-range Taurus missiles, but their use is currently hampered by the lack of final permission to launch strikes on Russian territory deep from the front line.
According to the source, the operation to transport and deploy the missiles took place in absolute secrecy and was carried out jointly by British and German intelligence. It was an interstate coordination that involved the delivery of weapons without public announcement and taking into account high political risks.
Interestingly, the NATO headquarters in the European Union is responsible for identifying targets for possible Taurus use. This includes not only facilities in temporarily occupied territories, but also strategic targets on Russian territory, including military infrastructure, airfields, command posts, and logistics hubs.
Recall that the discussion about providing Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles has been going on for over a year. The main obstacle was the political reservations of the German government, in particular Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who repeatedly stated his unwillingness to escalate the war through strikes on Russian territory.
However, according to the source, the missiles are already on the territory of Ukraine, and if permission is obtained, the Armed Forces of Ukraine can quickly carry out targeted attacks on important military facilities of the enemy.
It was previously known that the range of Taurus missiles is up to 500 km, which allows the Armed Forces of Ukraine to reach targets deep in the rear of the Russian Federation, including facilities in the Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, Voronezh regions and even further - depending on the missile's flight route.
All key decisions regarding the use of long-range missile weapons are made at the level of the military-political leadership of NATO partner countries. That is why permission for the combat use of Taurus is still being agreed upon, despite the actual presence of missiles on Ukrainian territory.
Once the appropriate permission is received, a qualitative strengthening of Ukrainian capabilities for deep strikes against the enemy's rear is expected, in particular for the destruction of logistics and air bases that are inaccessible to other types of weapons, including Storm Shadow and SCALP.
