The acquisition of long-range German Taurus missiles by Ukraine will not radically change the battlefield situation but will greatly expand the capabilities of the Ukrainian military.

Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk, Deputy Minister of Defence, was asked in an interview with Tagesspiegel whether Kyiv is losing hope of receiving the Taurus after the proposal failed to gain support in the Bundestag.

"Despite the negative outcome of the vote in the Bundestag, I hope that we will receive all the necessary support, including the Taurus," he replied.

Havryliuk noted that these missiles would be a significant addition to the armaments provided within the framework of the so-called air defence coalition for Ukraine, in which Germany and France play a leading role.

"These missiles are capable of striking inaccessible locations of enemy aircraft, missile systems and ammunition depots. They also have a greater range than other missiles we have already received, and they are resistant to electronic warfare," he said.

Asked whether obtaining these missiles would turn the tide on the battlefield in favour of Ukraine, the deputy defence minister replied that it would not have such a decisive effect.

"The Taurus missiles would assist our military on the battlefield and help the Air Force defend civilian infrastructure. It is too early to speak of a breakthrough in the war," he added.

On 17 January, the Bundestag rejected the proposal of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) (CDU/CSU) opposition alliance to supply German Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.

Even if a majority of the Bundestag votes to supply Taurus, the federal government, in particular the Federal Security Council, has the final say on arms exports.

At the beginning of the year, the German government hinted that they were not yet ready to provide Ukraine with these weapons.