Russia claims to be closely monitoring Ukraine’s request for long-range “Tomahawk” missiles, which might increase Kyiv’s ability to strike deep inside Russia.
The request comes as US President Donald Trump appears to be shifting his stance on support for Ukraine against Russia because of his growing frustration with President Vladimir Putin’s war push despite a meeting to discuss peace in Alaska in August.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Speaking to media on Monday, Russian government spokesperson Dmitry Peskov maintained that the weapons, if delivered, would not be a game-changer in the war. However, he suggested that the US might be breaking the red line Moscow had previously drawn in response to what it perceives as direct interference by Ukraine’s allies.
“As before, the question is: Who can launch these missiles?” … Can only Ukrainians launch them, or do American soldiers have to do that? Who determines the missiles’ target? The Ukrainians themselves or the American side? Peskov asked.
Moscow has previously stated that it will consider providing intelligence or targeting data as crossing the line. It has been suggested on numerous occasions that Russia might restart producing intermediate-range nuclear weapons and stationing similar missiles close to the West.
In a Monday post on Telegram, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned that such interference could result in a war with “weapons of mass destruction”.
What we know about the US’s position on Tomahawks and what it might mean to deliver them to Ukraine:
What weapons has Ukraine asked for and how has the US responded?
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, said he requested the Tomahawk missiles when he met with President Donald Trump in New York on the occasion of the UN General Assembly last week.
In an effort to prevent an escalation of tensions with Putin, the US government under Joe Biden had previously prohibited Kyiv from using US weapons to attack Russia. Ukraine was allowed to target Russian positions in occupied territory.
Zelenskyy claimed that Trump had told him that Ukraine could retaliate against Russian strikes in a similar manner, such as by attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure if Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy resources in an interview with Axios last week.
US Vice President JD Vance confirmed to Fox News on Sunday that Kyiv has requested that the US government be taking Tomahawks in the delivery of the aircraft. Vance did not reveal details, but said that Trump would be making the “final determination”.
Meanwhile, US Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg made a comment on the request later on Sunday during a separate Fox News interview. There are no such things as sanctuaries, according to Kellygg, who claimed that the Trump administration already gave Kyiv the right to launch deep attacks on Russia in specific circumstances.
How do Tomahawk missiles work?
Tomahawks, which can be launched from ships, submarines, or ground launchers, are long-range subsonic cruise missiles. They have long-range, deep-strike capabilities, and can hit targets 1, 250km-2, 500km (777-1, 553 miles) away.
They carry high-explosive warheads designed to pierce military bunkers and other hardened targets. Tomahawks also fly quickly because they maintain low altitude while avoiding radar detection by moving at high subsonic speeds.
The US Navy has used Tomahawks since the 1970s. US weapons company RTX is the only company making missiles right now.
What makes Ukraine want Tomahawks?
Kyiv has long been requesting powerful long-range missiles to strike deep inside Russia, but its Western allies, which form the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), have mostly been reluctant to risk a bigger conflict by agreeing to provide these.
Some have since censured their position and given Ukraine more freedom over how it uses the weapons it does possess.
Former US President Joe Biden eased restrictions on the launch of US missiles just before his election-year, partly because Trump had stated he would not support Ukraine further during his presidency.
In May 2023, the UK began delivering the British and France-built Storm Shadow (or SCALP in France), a long-range missile weighing 1, 300kg (2, 866 pounds), and with a range of about 250km (155 miles). The UK then granted Kyiv the right to directly use its weapons against Russia in August 2024.
A long-range surface-to-surface missile artillery system capable of hitting targets up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) away, the US sent Ukraine its Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) in April 2024.
Both the Storm Shadow and ATACMS systems are limited in range and explosives compared to Tomahawks, however.
Ukraine has developed its own drone-missile systems, including the turbo-jet drone Paliantysia, which Kyiv claims can hit targets located 650 kilometers (404 miles) away from its allies’ restrictions on the use of their weapons.
The Flamingo, a ground-launched missile that Ukraine claims can target locations up to 3, 000 kilometers (1, 864 miles) away, was also unveiled in August, but it’s not clear if it has actually launched one.
Marina Miron, an analyst at King’s College, London, told Al Jazeera that, based on data shared by Ukraine, a Flamingo may in fact have better range and destructive capabilities than a Tomahawk. She noted that Ukraine may still be asking for US missiles for primarily strategic reasons.
“It might be interesting to see how Russia reacts because Ukraine also understands that firing a missile like that might entice Russia to use more force,” Miron said.
Regardless, if Kyiv receives the Tomahawk weapons, analysts say it could significantly expand Ukraine’s strike capabilities and allow it to hit targets deep inside Russian territory, including military bases, logistics hubs, airfields and command centres.
Russian expert Keir Giles, a member of the UK think tank Chatham House, claimed that the missiles would also stifle Russia’s front-line defense strategies.
Giles referred to the Russian military’s strategy of hunkering just outside the range of missile launches launched from Ukraine, and said, “deep strikes would be targeted on significant military installations and ensuring that Russia can no longer hide behind the front lines.”
However, Miron argued that while Tomahawks would undoubtedly hurt Russia, the damage would be limited. Is Russia going to have to resign from Ukraine? She said, “I don’t believe it.”
President Zelenskyy himself has suggested Ukraine might not actually need to use long-range US missiles against Russia if it has possession of them. He claimed in an interview with Axios that powerful missiles could be used as a merely a means of influencing Russia’s willingness to accept peace.
Zelenskyy told Axios, “We need it, but that doesn’t mean we’ll use it.” “Because if we will have it, I think it’s additional pressure on Putin to sit and speak”, he said.
If the US sent Tomahawks to Ukraine, what might Russia say?
Russia perceives Western support for Ukraine as a potential “threat of force”, but is unlikely to take drastic action, analysts say.
Western nations have continued to provide humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine despite Moscow’s veiled threats.
Sergey Lavrov, the country’s foreign minister, reiterated Russia’s position at the UNGA last week. “Threats of force against Russia … are becoming increasingly common. Such provocations have been repeatedly refuted by President Putin.
Russia has never had such intentions and does not, but he warned that any aggression against my nation would be met with a swift response.
Giles said Moscow often makes threats, but mostly as a scare tactic, and that Russia is particularly careful with the US. Washington would be expected to respond in response to an attack on any NATO member, just like it would for all other NATO members.
Analysts believe Russia may be “testing” NATO’s willingness to use military force despite recent Russian drone incursions that have raised concerns about the potential for military action.
” Russia says everything is a red line, “Giles said”. Russia would not choose to pursue the nuclear option. Because they are aware of how disastrous it would be, Russia would be least interested in engaging in combat with a unified bloc, especially with the US.
What is Europe’s response to threats from Russia?
The Tomahawk discussion has not received any comments from European leaders.
However, the bloc has been rattled by a recent series of incursions into its airspace by Russian drones and aircraft.
Poland briefly secluded itself from Russian airspace on Sunday in preparation for a Russian attack on Ukraine. That occurred on September 9 when Polish and NATO fighters shot down 20 Russian drones in Polish skies. That marked the first time a NATO member had directly engaged with Russian military assets since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Estonia reported last week that three Russian MiG-31 jets, which were “armed with missiles and ready to fight,” had entered its airspace for 12 minutes before being forced to leave. The UN Security Council’s emergency meeting was called by the nation after the incursion, at which allies criticized Moscow.
On Monday, Denmark banned all drone flights for a week after it repeatedly sighted drones over its airspace, including last week, when several airports were forced to shut down.
In September, drone sightings in Romania, Latvia, Norway, Germany, and France were also reported.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made the claim that Moscow is trying to undermine continent unity at a media event in Düsseldorf on Monday. Germany has refused to deliver its long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine for fear of escalation with Russia, and has not changed its stance.
Source: Aljazeera
Leave a Reply