Russia warns of ‘appropriate’ response if US sends Tomahawks to Ukraine

Russia will respond “appropriately” if the U.S. transfers Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian journalists on Oct. 2.

His remarks come just days after U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Washington is considering Kyiv’s request for Tomahawks, which can strike targets at ranges of up to 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles).

Peskov did not elaborate on what measures Moscow might take.

Speaking at the Valdai Forum on Oct. 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the significance of a possible U.S. transfer of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

“Tomahawks are powerful weapons… They are no longer quite that modern, but they are powerful and pose a threat. Of course, they will not change the battlefield situation at all,” he said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly pressed U.S. President Donald Trump for the missiles during a closed-door meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23.

The long-range missiles have been on Ukraine’s wish list for years and were included in Zelensky’s “Victory Plan,” presented to then-U.S. President Joe Biden in October 2024.

Shipments of Tomahawks to Ukraine may be unlikely, however, because Washington’s current stocks are committed to the U.S. Navy, a U.S. official and other sources familiar with the missiles told Reuters on Oct. 2.

The Tomahawk is a key component of the U.S. arsenal. It can fly at low altitudes, perform evasive maneuvers, and be reprogrammed mid-flight.

Ukraine argues the weapons would allow strikes on command centers and supply hubs deep behind the front line, with Zelensky saying “centers of power, including the Kremlin, could be legitimate targets.”

Ukraine now relies on Western-supplied Storm Shadow missiles with a 250-kilometer (155-mile) range.

Russia maintains a significant advantage over Ukraine in missile capabilities, regularly using Kalibr cruise missiles and Iskander ballistic missiles to strike Ukrainian cities.

Ukraine has turned to long-range drone strikes to compensate, targeting Russian fuel depots, military bases, and infrastructure far from the battlefield.

The debate over Tomahawks also comes as Trump’s administration begins sending weapons to Kyiv under a NATO-backed deal.

The first aid package, approved Sept. 16, included Patriot and HIMARS missiles.

Russia presses advance in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, threatening Ukrainian supply lines

Russian forces are pressing their advance in central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in an effort to disrupt Ukrainian supply lines that support adjacent front-line sectors, military analysts say. Even as attention shifted to other sectors to the east enduring heavier fighting, Russian forces continued to advance at a slightly faster pace in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in recent weeks, Emil Kastehelmi, an analyst at the Finland-based Black Bird Group, which monitors open-source war footage, said. The l