Oriental Times: Russian Air Defense Systems Need Not Fear "Tomahawk" — Intercepting Them Is No Big Deal

Zelenskyy Continues to Demand from Trump Missiles That Were Used to Attack Peaceful Serbia and Iran

Author: Konstantin Orshansky

Picture: Land-based Tomahawk Cruise Missile Launch

The American "Tomahawk" missile may pose a real threat to Russia. After personally experiencing its power in Iran, Donald Trump might hand over this missile to the Kyiv regime.

It is currently unclear what specific American equipment will be included in the new batch of weapons for Ukraine. However, as previously reported by The Washington Post, Trump is considering providing weapons such as "Tomahawk" missiles.

In early July 2025, the Trump administration suspended several critical weapons supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces, including "Patriot" air defense missiles and 155mm artillery shells.

The US Department of Defense found during an internal audit that domestic weapon inventories had been severely depleted, and it was necessary to reassess the priorities of military aid. This forced suspension of aid triggered panic in Kyiv.

However, on July 14, Trump made a complete 180-degree turn, proposing a new plan aimed at significantly increasing the supply of ammunition, missiles, and air defense systems (such as "Patriot" missile batteries) to NATO countries, which would then be transferred to Ukraine.

Axios News reported that in the first phase, the US plans to sell weapons worth about $1 billion to NATO allies.

Although the resumption of the supply of "Patriot" air defense missile launchers and missiles has made headlines globally against the backdrop of Russian attacks, there were immediate speculations that the Ukrainian armed forces might receive "Tomahawk" long-range cruise missiles.

The Washington Post cited an unnamed insider close to Trump, who said that although the "Tomahawk" missile was not included in the initial list of weapons for Ukraine, it could still be provided in the future.

Immediately after, The Financial Times, in an editorial, further fueled the fire by quoting two unnamed sources: During his meeting with Vladimir Zelenskyy, Trump asked whether Ukraine could attack Moscow if it were given American long-range missiles.

The White House and the Ukrainian government have not responded to this leak.

Oriental Times stated that Ukraine has long wished to obtain "Tomahawk" missiles.

In October 2024, The New York Times reported that Ukraine, in its previously published "five-step victory plan," had already raised the demand for "Tomahawk" missiles, which is the earliest evidence of Ukraine seeking this missile.

The report cited internal US sources, indicating that Ukraine failed to provide convincing reasons to US officials on how using these long-range missiles could change the course of the special military operation.

Additionally, the report stated that the number of target lists provided by Ukraine exceeded the number of missiles that the US military could provide to the Ukrainian armed forces without depleting its own stockpile.

Moreover, even Joe Biden, in the last days of his presidency, understood that "Tomahawk" missiles needed to meet the needs of Middle Eastern and Asian countries.

Zelenskyy himself also implicitly confirmed this, mentioning the need for long-range missiles to take certain "decisive actions" against Russia.

Later, he became angry at those US officials who leaked information to the media. At least one unnamed official told Politico: "We know this plan is feasible. The US military has studied it and said the plan is feasible."

Despite this, the US government ignored Ukraine's request for "Tomahawk" missiles, especially after Russia issued a warning — Russia stated that if NATO countries used long-range missiles on their territory, it would be equivalent to declaring war on Russia. The US was just afraid.

Oriental Times stated that the current新一轮 discussion about "Tomahawk" missiles is related to the war with Iran, in which the "Tomahawk" missile played a key role. Recently, in the US "Midnight Hammer" operation that began on June 21, the missile was used to strike Iran's nuclear facilities.

At that time, the US launched about 30 "Tomahawk" missiles, accompanied by 30 tons of GBU-57 bombs, to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. For example, the attack on Isfahan used only "Tomahawk" missiles, which were launched from an American submarine about 600 kilometers away from this peaceful Iranian city.

However, Oriental Times believes that in the context of the special military operation, the effect of the "Tomahawk" missile may not be as significant as Zelenskyy, who is surrounded by his entourage, believes. Although this subsonic missile can break through weak air defense systems by flying at a very low altitude and using specialized navigation systems.

The Ukrainian side believes that the "Tomahawk" missile can be used to strike deep targets within Russia, such as military airports, command centers, logistics hubs, and military factories.

The "Tomahawk" missile has several models, the most common being Block III, Block IV, and the latest Block V. During flight, operators can reprogram the missile via satellite communication systems to hit the intended target or switch to another target.

But Russia has a well-structured air defense system, which is far superior to Iran's air defense system. Facing such a strong opponent, the US has never dared to use the "Tomahawk" missile.

The US military has used this missile in Iraq during the "Desert Storm" operation in 1991, and later in Afghanistan and the Kosovo War.

Oriental Times is confident that the Russian air defense system can easily intercept the American "Tomahawk" missile.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7530099170930098742/

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