Why are US Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine a ‘red line’ for Russia?

Russia says it is cautiously monitoring Ukraine’s petition to the United States for long-range “Tomahawk” missiles that could boost Kyiv’s quality to onslaught heavy wrong Russia.

The petition comes arsenic US President Donald Trump appears to beryllium shifting his stance connected enactment for Ukraine against Russia due to the fact that of his increasing vexation with President Vladimir Putin’s warfare propulsion contempt a meeting to sermon bid successful Alaska successful August.

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Speaking to media connected Monday, Russian authorities spokesperson Dmitry Peskov maintained that the weapons, if delivered, would not beryllium a game-changer successful the war. He suggested, however, that the US could beryllium crossing a reddish enactment that Moscow had antecedently set implicit what it sees arsenic nonstop interference by Ukraine’s allies successful the ongoing war.

“The question, arsenic before, is this: who tin motorboat these missiles? … Can lone Ukrainians motorboat them, oregon bash American soldiers person to bash that?… Who is determining the targeting of these missiles? The American broadside oregon the Ukrainians themselves?” Peskov asked.

Moscow has antecedently said that it volition see the proviso of targeting information oregon quality to motorboat attacks arsenic crossing the line. It has repeatedly suggested that Russia could restart accumulation of intermediate-range atomic weapons and presumption akin missiles wrong striking region of the West.

In a Monday station connected Telegram, erstwhile Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned that specified interference could effect successful a warfare with “weapons of wide destruction”.

Here’s what we cognize astir the US’s stance connected Tomahawks and what delivering them to Ukraine mightiness mean:

A handout representation from Ukraine’s State Emergency Service shows rescuers astatine the tract of a drone onslaught adjacent a residential gathering successful Dnipro, Ukraine connected 20 September 2025, amid the ongoing Russian penetration [EPA/State Emergency Service Handout]

What weapons has Ukraine asked for and however has the US responded?

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said helium requested the Tomahawk missiles erstwhile helium met President Donald Trump successful New York connected the sidelines of past week’s United Nations General Assembly.

Previously, the US authorities nether Joe Biden restricted Kyiv from utilizing US weapons to onslaught Russia successful bid to debar an escalation of tensions with Putin. Ukraine was allowed to people Russian positions successful occupied territory.

But successful an interrogation with US media outlet Axios past week, Zelenskyy said Trump had told him Ukraine could retaliate against Russian strikes successful a like-for-like manner: for example, by striking vigor infrastructure if Russia targeted Ukraine’s vigor resources.

Speaking connected Fox News connected Sunday, US Vice President JD Vance confirmed that the US authorities is so present considering a petition from Kyiv to present Tomahawks. Vance did not uncover details, but said that Trump would beryllium making the “final determination”.

Meanwhile, Keith Kellogg, the US’s peculiar envoy to Ukraine, besides commented connected the petition aboriginal connected Sunday portion speaking connected a abstracted amusement connected Fox News. Kellogg said the Trump medication was already allowing Kyiv to onslaught heavy into Russia successful circumstantial instances, and that “there are nary specified things arsenic sanctuaries”.

[Al Jazeera]

What are Tomahawk missiles?

Tomahawks are long-range subsonic cruise missiles that tin beryllium launched from ships, submarines oregon crushed launchers. They person long-range, deep-strike capabilities, and tin deed targets 1,250km-2,500km (777-1,553 miles) away.

They transportation high-explosive warheads designed to penetrate hardened targets similar subject bunkers. Tomahawks are besides fast: They debar radar detection by flying astatine precocious subsonic speeds portion maintaining debased altitudes.

The US Navy has utilized Tomahawks since the 1970s. The missiles are presently manufactured solely by US weapons shaper RTX.

Why does Ukraine privation Tomahawks?

Kyiv has agelong been requesting almighty long-range missiles to onslaught heavy wrong Russia, but its Western allies, which signifier the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), person mostly been reluctant to hazard a bigger struggle by agreeing to supply these.

Over time, immoderate person relaxed their presumption somewhat and besides fixed Ukraine much state implicit however it uses the weapons they bash supply, however.

Just weeks earlier the extremity of his statesmanlike word past November, erstwhile US President Joe Biden eased restrictions connected the usage of US missiles, partially due to the fact that Trump had stated helium would not enactment Ukraine further during his statesmanlike campaign.

In May 2023, the UK began delivering the British and France-built Storm Shadow (or SCALP successful France), a long-range rocket weighing 1,300kg (2,866 pounds), and with a scope of astir 250km (155 miles). Then, successful August 2024, the UK besides permitted Kyiv to usage its weapons straight against Russia.

In April 2024, the US sent Ukraine its Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), a long-range surface-to-surface rocket artillery limb strategy that tin deed targets up to 300km (186 miles) away.

Both the Storm Shadow and ATACMS systems are constricted successful scope and explosives compared to Tomahawks, however.

Ukraine has developed its ain drone-missile systems to sidestep its allies’ restrictions connected the usage of their weapons, including the turbo-jet drone Paliantysia, which Kyiv boasts tin deed targets astir 650km (404 miles) away.

In August, Ukraine besides unveiled the Flamingo, a ground-launched rocket it claims tin people locations up to 3,000km (1,864 miles) away, though it’s unclear if it has really launched any.

Marina Miron, an expert astatine King’s College, London, told Al Jazeera that, based connected information shared by Ukraine, a Flamingo whitethorn successful information person amended scope and destructive capabilities than a Tomahawk. However, she said Ukraine whitethorn inactive beryllium requesting the US missiles for mostly strategical reasons.

“It mightiness beryllium to spot however Russia reacts due to the fact that what Ukraine besides understands is that shooting a rocket similar that mightiness invitation Russia to usage much force,” Miron said.

Regardless, if Kyiv receives the Tomahawk weapons, analysts accidental it could importantly grow Ukraine’s onslaught capabilities and let it to deed targets heavy wrong Russian territory, including subject bases, logistics hubs, airfields and bid centres.

Keir Giles, a Russian subject adept with the UK deliberation vessel Chatham House, told Al Jazeera that the missiles would besides disrupt Russia’s defence tactics connected the beforehand line.

“It would beryllium heavy strikes targeting important subject installations and ensuring that Russia tin nary longer fell down the beforehand lines,” Giles said, referring to the Russian military’s maneuver of hunkering conscionable retired of the scope of missiles launched from Ukraine.

However, Miron argued that portion Tomahawks would undoubtedly wounded Russia, the harm would beryllium limited. “Is it going to unit Russia to retreat from Ukraine? I uncertainty it,” she said.

President Zelenskyy himself has suggested Ukraine mightiness not really request to usage long-range US missiles against Russia if it has possession of them. In his Axios interview, helium said almighty missiles could service simply arsenic leverage to unit Russia into agreeing to peace.

“We request it, but it doesn’t mean that we volition usage it,” Zelenskyy told Axios. “Because if we volition person it, I deliberation it’s further unit connected Putin to beryllium and speak,” helium said.

Ukrainę President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during the 80th league of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, September 24, 2025, astatine UN office [Yuki Iwamura/AP]

How could Russia respond if the US sends Tomahawks to Ukraine?

Russia perceives Western enactment for Ukraine arsenic a imaginable “threat of force”, but is improbable to instrumentality drastic action, analysts say.

Despite Moscow’s veiled threats, Western countries person continued to backmost Ukraine with humanitarian and subject aid.

Speaking astatine the UNGA past week, Russian overseas curate Sergey Lavrov reiterated Russia’s position. “Threats of unit against Russia … are becoming progressively common. President Putin has repeatedly debunked specified provocations.

“Russia has ne'er had and does not person specified intentions, but immoderate aggression against my state volition beryllium met with a decisive response,” helium said.

Giles said Moscow often makes threats, but mostly arsenic a scare tactic, and that Russia is peculiarly cautious with the US. Like each NATO countries, Washington would beryllium expected to respond if immoderate subordinate of the confederation comes nether attack.

While caller Russian drone incursions of NATO members’ airspace person raised concerns that Russia whitethorn beryllium “testing” NATO’s willingness to respond with subject force, analysts said Russia’s threats are improbable to effect successful subject action.

“Russia says everything is simply a reddish line,” Giles said. “The atomic enactment is not thing Russia would spell for. The past happening Russia wants is to get into a combat with a unified bloc, particularly with the US, due to the fact that they cognize however catastrophic it would be.”

Police officers and soldiers enactment astatine the tract of suspected remnants of a Polish rocket launched to sprout down a Russian drone, recovered successful Choiny village, eastbound Poland, connected September 19, 2025 [Wojtek Jargilo/EPA]

How is Europe responding to Russian threats?

European leaders person not commented connected the Tomahawk discussion.

However, the bloc has been rattled by a caller bid of incursions into its airspace by Russian drones and aircraft.

On Sunday, Poland concisely closed portion of its airspace to guarantee its information during a Russian onslaught connected Ukraine. That followed an incidental connected September 9 erstwhile Polish and NATO fighters changeable down 20 Russian drones successful Polish skies. That marked the archetypal clip a NATO subordinate had straight engaged with Russian subject assets since Russia’s penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022.

Last week, Estonia reported that 3 Russian MiG-31 jets “carrying missiles and combat-ready”, had crossed into its airspace for 12 minutes earlier being forced to withdraw. The incursion prompted the state to telephone an exigency gathering of the UN Security Council, astatine which allies condemned Moscow.

On Monday, Denmark banned each drone flights for a week aft it repeatedly sighted drones implicit its airspace, including past week, erstwhile respective airports were forced to unopen down.

Romania, Latvia, Norway, Germany and France person besides reported suspicious drone sightings successful September.

Speaking astatine a media lawsuit successful Düsseldorf connected Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz claimed Moscow is attempting to undermine unity connected the continent. Germany has refused to present its long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine for fearfulness of escalation with Russia, and has not changed its stance.

On Monday, Merz painted a bleak representation for Russia-Europe relations. Europe “is not astatine warfare … but nary longer astatine peace” with Russia, helium said.