A look at Taurus missiles, the weapon at the heart of a leaked audio and Russian-German tensions

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER, VANESSA GERA and STEPHANIE LIECHTENSTEIN
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — On the day that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was laid to rest in Moscow, Russian state media leaked an audio recording of German military officers discussing the hypothetical use of Taurus long-range missiles in Ukraine. The conversation on a sensitive subject was never meant to be public. The leak embarrassed Germany and raised concerns about the security of its communications. A furious Moscow leveled threats in response. The stealth missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles). They would help Ukraine put pressure on Russia in the Black Sea and elsewhere.