Photographers take pictures of a Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missile during a visit of the Bavarian governor Markus Soeder in the showroom of defense contractor MBDA in Schrobenhausen, Germany, March 5, 2024. (PHOTO / DPA VIA AP)

BERLIN/KYIV - Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, on Thursday once again vetoed a motion of sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

The question has been a key issue in the political debate in recent months. The motion came from the conservative opposition CDU/CSU parliamentary group. Meanwhile, parts of the governing parties -- Social Democratic Party, Greens, and Free Democratic Party -- also support the idea of providing long-range missiles.

Olaf Scholz on Thursday told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky via phone that Germany would continue to support Ukraine in the military sector in close coordination with European and international partners

However, Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday underlined his refusal to supply far-reaching weapon systems to Ukraine. He said the system can only be used if they were linked to the deployment of German soldiers. "That is a line I do not want to cross as Chancellor," he told the Bundestag.

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The majority of Germans support Scholz on the issue. According to a survey published by public broadcaster ARD last week, 61 percent are against the delivery of Taurus to Ukraine, 9 percentage points up from August last year.

Nevertheless, Scholz reiterated his support for Ukraine in terms of military equipment. Also on Thursday, he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky via phone that Germany would continue to support Ukraine in the military sector in close coordination with European and international partners, a German government spokesman said.

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Considered one of Germany's most modern weapon systems, the Taurus missile is an air-launched missile with an operational range of about 500 km. It travels at almost the speed of sound and flies at an altitude of only 35 meters, which makes it hard for radar systems to detect it, local media reported. 

A Ukrainian soldier looks at his phone standing near a Swedish self-propelled howitzer system Archer at the front line in Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 4, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

Ukraine’s rotation of troops

Ukraine has launched the rotation of troops on the frontline of the conflict with Russia, Oleksandr Syrsky, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said on Thursday.

"Despite the rather difficult situation on the entire frontline, we managed to start the process of rotations and replacement of units and detachments that have been performing combat tasks at the front for a long time," Syrsky wrote on Facebook.

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The rotation will help stabilize the situation on the battlefield and will have a positive effect on the moral and psychological state of Ukrainian soldiers, Syrsky said.

Later this month, the Ukrainian parliament is expected to vote on the bill tightening mobilization rules in the country.

Earlier, the Ukrainian authorities have voiced plans to mobilize between 450,000 and 500,000 people.