Ukraine needs Taurus cruise missiles to destroy Russian launching systems. Kyiv does not intend to strike civilian targets or Russia's energy infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated.
"Why do we want to order Taurus missiles? Because when the Americans were unable to provide us with anti-ballistic missiles for air defense, we had only one option left: to destroy Russian launching systems. They are killing us, and we cannot even defend ourselves. These are not civilian targets, infrastructure, or energy facilities," Zelenskyy said.
The President noted that Ukraine does not just want to order these missiles but also to test them, which is beneficial for both sides.
Zelenskyy also responded to the words of skeptics who wonder what Ukraine is doing for the countries that help it. Specifically, he spoke about the results of utilizing the IRIS-T air defense system.
"We made IRIS-T the number one brand in the world after the anti-ballistic Patriots. Now this system costs anywhere from 600,000 to about one and a half million. This war did that. We have also resolved all problematic issues, because it is only in a real war that the weaknesses of any defense can be fully eliminated," Zelenskyy stated.
As the President noted, Germany has backlogs of orders for IRIS-T for the next 10 to 20 years, which also means new jobs. Furthermore, the cost of the missile itself has increased tenfold.
