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

Russia says it is carefully monitoring Ukraine’s request to the United States for long-range “Tomahawk” missiles that could boost 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.

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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. He suggested, however, that the US could be crossing a red line that Moscow had previously set over what it sees as direct interference by Ukraine’s allies in the ongoing war.

“The question, as before, is this: who can launch these missiles? … Can only Ukrainians launch them, or do American soldiers have to do that?… Who is determining the targeting of these missiles? The American side or the Ukrainians themselves?” Peskov asked.

Moscow has previously said that it will consider the provision of targeting data or intelligence to launch attacks as crossing the line. It has repeatedly suggested that Russia could restart production of intermediate-range nuclear weapons and station similar missiles within striking distance of 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”.

Here’s what we know about the US’s stance on Tomahawks and what delivering them to Ukraine might mean:

A handout picture from Ukraine’s State Emergency Service shows rescuers at the site of a drone strike near a residential building in Dnipro, Ukraine on 20 September 2025, amid the ongoing Russian invasion [EPA/State Emergency Service Handout]

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

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he requested the Tomahawk missiles when he met President Donald Trump in New York on the sidelines of last week’s United Nations General Assembly.

Previously, the US government under Joe Biden restricted Kyiv from using US weapons to strike Russia in order to avoid an escalation of tensions with Putin. Ukraine was allowed to target Russian positions in occupied territory.

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

Speaking on Fox News on Sunday, US Vice President JD Vance confirmed that the US government is indeed now considering a request from Kyiv to deliver Tomahawks. Vance did not reveal details, but said that Trump would be making the “final determination”.

Meanwhile, Keith Kellogg, the US’s special envoy to Ukraine, also commented on the request later on Sunday while speaking on a separate show on Fox News. Kellogg said the Trump administration was already allowing Kyiv to strike deep into Russia in specific instances, and that “there are no such things as sanctuaries”.

[Al Jazeera]

What are Tomahawk missiles?

Tomahawks are long-range subsonic cruise missiles that can be launched from ships, submarines or ground launchers. 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 penetrate hardened targets like military bunkers. Tomahawks are also fast: They avoid radar detection by flying at high subsonic speeds while maintaining low altitudes.

The US Navy has used Tomahawks since the 1970s. The missiles are currently manufactured solely by US weapons producer RTX.

Why does 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.

Over time, some have relaxed their position somewhat and also given Ukraine more freedom over how it uses the weapons they do supply, however.

Just weeks before the end of his presidential term last November, former US President Joe Biden eased restrictions on the use of US missiles, partly because Trump had stated he would not support Ukraine further during his presidential campaign.

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). Then, in August 2024, the UK also permitted Kyiv to use its weapons directly against Russia.

In April 2024, the US sent Ukraine its Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), a long-range surface-to-surface missile artillery weapon system that can hit targets up to 300km (186 miles) away.

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 to sidestep its allies’ restrictions on the use of their weapons, including the turbo-jet drone Paliantysia, which Kyiv boasts can hit targets about 650km (404 miles) away.

In August, Ukraine also unveiled the Flamingo, a ground-launched missile it claims can target locations up to 3,000km (1,864 miles) away, although it’s unclear if it has actually launched any.

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. However, she said Ukraine may still be requesting the US missiles for largely strategic reasons.

“It might be to see how Russia reacts because what Ukraine also understands is that shooting a missile like that might invite 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.

Keir Giles, a Russian military expert with the UK think tank Chatham House, told Al Jazeera that the missiles would also disrupt Russia’s defence tactics on the front line.

“It would be deep strikes targeting important military installations and ensuring that Russia can no longer hide behind the front lines,” Giles said, referring to the Russian military’s tactic of hunkering just out of the range of missiles launched from Ukraine.

However, Miron argued that while Tomahawks would undoubtedly hurt Russia, the damage would be limited. “Is it going to force Russia to withdraw from Ukraine? I doubt it,” she said.

President Zelenskyy himself has suggested Ukraine might not actually need to use long-range US missiles against Russia if it has possession of them. In his Axios interview, he said powerful missiles could serve merely as leverage to pressure Russia into agreeing to peace.

“We need it, but it doesn’t mean that we will use it,” Zelenskyy told Axios. “Because if we will have it, I think it’s additional pressure on Putin to sit and speak,” he said.

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

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

Russia perceives Western support for Ukraine as a potential “threat of force”, but is unlikely to take drastic action, analysts say.

Despite Moscow’s veiled threats, Western countries have continued to back Ukraine with humanitarian and military aid.

Speaking at the UNGA last week, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated Russia’s position. “Threats of force against Russia … are becoming increasingly common. President Putin has repeatedly debunked such provocations.

“Russia has never had and does not have such intentions, but any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response,” he said.

Giles said Moscow often makes threats, but mostly as a scare tactic, and that Russia is particularly careful with the US. Like all NATO countries, Washington would be expected to respond if any member of the alliance comes under attack.

While recent Russian drone incursions of NATO members’ airspace have raised concerns that Russia may be “testing” NATO’s willingness to respond with military force, analysts said Russia’s threats are unlikely to result in military action.

“Russia says everything is a red line,” Giles said. “The nuclear option is not something Russia would go for. The last thing Russia wants is to get into a fight with a unified bloc, especially with the US, because they know how catastrophic it would be.”

Police officers and soldiers work at the site of suspected remnants of a Polish missile launched to shoot down a Russian drone, found in Choiny village, eastern Poland, on September 19, 2025 [Wojtek Jargilo/EPA]

How is Europe responding to Russian threats?

European leaders have not commented on the Tomahawk discussion.

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

On Sunday, Poland briefly closed part of its airspace to ensure its safety during a Russian strike on Ukraine. That followed an incident 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.

Last week, Estonia reported that three Russian MiG-31 jets “carrying missiles and combat-ready”, had crossed into its airspace for 12 minutes before being forced to withdraw. The incursion prompted the country to call an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, at which allies condemned 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.

Romania, Latvia, Norway, Germany and France have also reported suspicious drone sightings in September.

Speaking at a media event in Düsseldorf on Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz claimed Moscow is attempting to undermine unity on the continent. Germany has refused to deliver its long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine for fear of escalation with Russia, and has not changed its stance.

On Monday, Merz painted a bleak picture for Russia-Europe relations. Europe “is not at war … but no longer at peace” with Russia, he said.