Ukraine has officially asked the German government to supply Taurus air-to-surface cruise missiles with a range of at least 500 kilometers, the German Defense Ministry said on Saturday, AFP reports.

“The request from the Ukrainian side came to us during the last few days”, – reports the press secretary, who does not want to give details about the number, reports news.ro.

Berlin has yet to decide whether to comply with the request, which will spark fierce domestic debate.

The German government has dramatically increased arms supplies to Kyiv in recent months, but is still unwilling to supply cruise missiles or support the Ukrainian air force by supplying F-16 fighter jets, for example.

Taurus is an air-to-surface cruise missile carried by fighters, developed by the German-Swedish company of the same name.

Thanks to the missile’s range, it could hit targets far beyond the current front line in eastern Ukraine.

Great Britain, one of Kyiv’s main supporters, recently announced that it intends to supply Ukraine with Storm Shadow cruise missiles, becoming the first country to supply Ukraine with this type of long-range weapon.

These events are taking place in conditions where Kyiv has been preparing a counteroffensive for months, aimed at repelling Russian troops from the territories occupied by them in Ukraine.

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