BERLIN, October 25. /TASS/. The German Defense Ministry plans to purchase new long-range Taurus cruise missiles worth about €2.1 billion, Der Spiegel said citing sources.

According to the newspaper, the German Defense Ministry plans to equip the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) with an updated Taurus model. From a military standpoint, ordering 600 Taurus Neo cruise missiles for approximately €2.1 billion would be reasonable, Der Spiegel notes. The first deliveries are expected in 2029.

However, due to financial constraints, this project remains only an option in the ministry's plans. To move forward, the ministry would need around €350 million by 2025, with most expenses for the high-tech weapons postponed until 2029.

The Bundeswehr purchased around 600 Taurus missiles a decade ago. Ukraine has long requested these weapons from Germany, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz has consistently rejected transferring Taurus missiles, which have a range of about 500 km, to Kiev. These German-Swedish missiles have a longer range than the British Storm Shadow missiles, which have already been supplied to Ukraine.