Zelensky says Ukraine needs German Taurus missiles to destroy Russian launchers

In brief

• Zelensky told ZDF that Kyiv wants to buy Taurus cruise missiles from Germany to destroy Russian missile launch sites.
• He said the missiles would hit only military targets and that the deal would benefit German arms makers.
• German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has said he does not consider Taurus deliveries necessary.

Military targets, not civilian sites

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with German broadcaster ZDF that Kyiv wants to buy Taurus missiles from Germany (Україна хоче замовити Taurus, щоб бити по пускових установках у РФ і випробувати їх у реальних бойових умовах, – Зеленський – Espreso) (Зеленський: Нам потрібно від Німеччини ракети Taurus, це вигідно обом сторонам – Українська правда). He said Ukraine's options for defending against Russian ballistic missiles are limited, because US supplies of anti-ballistic interceptors for air defence systems have fallen short of what Kyiv needs («У нас один выход — уничтожать пусковые установки РФ». Зеленский объяснил, почему Украине нужны немецкие Taurus – NV). With interception not enough, he said, destroying the launchers Russia fires from has become one of the few remaining ways to reduce the strikes.

Zelensky said the missiles would be aimed only at military targets, not civilian buildings, energy infrastructure or utilities. He described Russia as having built dedicated launch sites from which it attacks Ukrainian towns and cities.

A deal he says benefits Germany

Zelensky also argued the arrangement would serve German industry. He pointed to the IRIS-T air defence system, which he said Ukraine helped turn into a well-known product after combat use exposed its weak points and fixed them. He said demand for IRIS-T has grown since then, and that German producers now face waiting lists of 10 to 20 years. He presented Taurus in the same way: an order that would also let Ukraine test the weapon in real combat and give manufacturers practical feedback.

Zelensky gave the figures for IRIS-T as well. He said the system costs between $600,000 and about $1.5 million, and that the price of a missile has risen many times over. The figures are his own statements and have not been independently verified.

Berlin's position

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has said he does not consider it necessary to supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles. Zelensky also met Pistorius on November 4, and according to reports, Zelensky said Ukraine has a firm contract for PAC-2 missiles made in Germany for the next two years.