Russia has issued a warning that any potential move authorized by former US President Donald Trump to supply long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine could lead to a declaration of nuclear war against both the United States and Britain by the Kremlin.
Recent intelligence reports indicate that the US is gearing up to provide Kyiv with advanced targeting data to target Russia’s energy networks, while urging NATO allies to do the same. There is also contemplation of supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk and Barracuda missiles for deep incursions into Russian territory as a response to Moscow rejecting Trump’s peace initiatives.
These proposed targets would enable Ukraine to escalate its successful attacks on Russian refineries, pipelines, power stations, and other critical infrastructure to disrupt Vladimir Putin’s oil supplies and revenues.
Military analyst Colonel Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of Russia’s ‘National Defence’ journal, specifically highlighted the Tomahawk missile, with a range of approximately 1,500 miles, stating that such an action could spark a global conflict.
Colonel Korotchenko emphasized that Ukrainian forces alone could not execute these strikes, necessitating US or British military involvement to hit Russian targets. He stressed that such a move would be considered a ‘casus belli’ under international law, prompting Russia to retaliate with strikes, not limited to Ukrainian territory.
While there is no indication that the Tomahawk missiles would be nuclear-equipped, Colonel Korotchenko cautioned that Russia would respond with its full range of conventional and nuclear weapons if faced with a genuine threat. He called for immediate measures to cut off Ukraine’s access to light and fuel, believing it would compel the Zelensky government to accept peace terms favorable to Russia.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov raised questions about who would be responsible for launching the missiles if deployed in Ukraine, emphasizing the need for a thorough analysis of the situation. The shift in Trump’s stance on intelligence is attributed to Putin’s reluctance to end the conflict and negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine, coinciding with Russia’s recent intensified attacks.
In a renewed wave of aggression, Russia targeted Bucha near Kyiv, a region previously marred by massacres, hitting a disused sanatorium. Other areas in Kyiv, Odessa, Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, and Sumy suffered from enemy drone attacks and power outages, causing widespread disruption.
Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukrainian deputy premier, described the relentless assaults on the country’s infrastructure by Russia, emphasizing the need for strengthened sanctions and blockades on supply chains of foreign-made weaponry used in the attacks.