Germany has stopped production lines for its Taurus cruise missiles as there are no active orders for these weapons, Thomas Gottschild, managing director of arms maker MBDA, said.
"The production line for the Taurus, test equipment and associated halls are still available. We could start production of the Taurus at any time. But for that we need a new order for this weapon," Gottschild said in an interview with German newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine out Saturday.
He also described the paused production of Taurus missiles as a "challenge for our industry."
"In such cases, our suppliers, which are often small and medium-sized companies, stop production. They cannot often financially afford to maintain production lines," Gottschild added.
Earlier this month, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, following the leak of a conversation between Bundeswehr officers discussing a potential attack on the Crimean bridge, once again ruled out the possibility of supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine since it could require the presence of German troops on the ground to help deploy them.
Western countries have been providing military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict.
In April 2022, Russia sent a diplomatic note to all NATO countries on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia.