Reports from Washington suggest that the Trump administration is considering a controversial step supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. This potential move has drawn sharp warnings from Moscow and sparked international debate over how far U.S. military aid should go.
According to U.S. Vice President JD Vance, President Donald Trump has been exploring the idea of selling Tomahawks to European allies, who could then transfer them to Ukraine. The goal, supporters say, would be to help Ukraine strengthen its defenses and strike deep into Russian-controlled territory.
Putin Warns of “New Stage of Escalation”
Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the issue at a foreign policy conference last week, cautioning that such a move would mark a “qualitatively new stage of escalation.” However, he also suggested he doubts it will happen, saying that while Trump “likes to shock,” he is also someone who “knows how to listen.”
Putin added that Washington appears focused on domestic development goals rather than escalating the war.
Ukraine Sees Long-Range Missiles as a Turning Point
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly urged Western nations to supply weapons capable of hitting strategic Russian sites. He argues that striking deep inside Russia could weaken the Kremlin’s war machine and accelerate the path to ending the conflict.
A new analysis by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) highlights how far-reaching such a move could be. The think tank released a map showing which Russian regions could fall within range of the Tomahawk a missile with a range of up to 1,600 miles, far greater than other Western systems like Storm Shadow or ATACMS.
According to ISW estimates, more than 1,900 Russian military targets could be reachable with the longer-range version. These include high-value facilities such as the Shahed drone plant in Tatarstan and the Engels-2 Air Base in Saratov Oblast both critical to Russia’s military operations.
Ukraine Steps Up Strikes Inside Russia
While discussions continue in Washington, Ukraine has already intensified its long-range attacks. Over the weekend, Ukrainian drones reportedly struck a major explosives plant in Dzerzhinsk, in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region. The facility, known as the Sverdlov Plant, is the country’s only producer of powerful military-grade explosives such as HMX and RDX, key components in missiles and artillery shells.
Footage shared online showed large explosions and fires at the site following the strike. Ukraine also targeted the Marine Oil Terminal in Feodosia, Crimea, disrupting a key hub used for transferring oil and fuel.
Ukraine’s General Staff later issued a statement reaffirming its goal to weaken Russia’s “military-economic potential” and force Moscow to end its aggression.
Russia Retaliates with Deadly Strikes
In response, Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on the Ukrainian village of Lapaivka, killing at least five civilians and cutting power to thousands. According to Ukrainian officials, Moscow has increased its assaults on energy and gas infrastructure, firing more than 50 missiles and 500 drones in recent days.
The Kremlin called the attacks a success, signaling that the cycle of retaliation between both nations shows no signs of slowing.
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