Russia will deliver a “very strong, if not stunning” response if long-range weapons such as Tomahawk missiles are used against its territory, President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday, calling the idea a reckless attempt to escalate the conflict.
Speaking after a meeting of the Russian Geographical Society, Putin cautioned Kyiv and its Western allies to “think carefully” before taking such a step.
“This is an attempt at escalation,” Putin said. “But if such weapons are used to strike Russian territory, the response will be very strong-if not stunning. They should think about that.”
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The warning came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested in Brussels that Kyiv could soon receive Tomahawk missiles, despite stalled talks with Washington. Zelensky said Ukraine might obtain the U.S.-made long-range cruise missiles, or other systems of similar range, from European countries that possess them.
He also claimed that Ukraine’s own domestically produced weapons could already strike targets at distances greater than the Tomahawk’s range.
The BGM-109 Tomahawk is an American high-precision, medium-range cruise missile launched from ships, submarines, or land-based platforms. It is designed to hit command centers, radar installations, air-defense batteries, airfields, and other critical targets. The missile can reach speeds of up to 885 km/h and has a strike range of between 1,250 and 2,500 kilometers.
Zelensky discussed possible Tomahawk deliveries during his October 17 meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. Trump previously indicated that the missiles could be supplied if diplomatic efforts to end the conflict fail.
According to CNN, Trump’s aides left the meeting convinced that Kyiv sought escalation rather than compromise. Zelensky later said Washington preferred to avoid further tensions over the Tomahawk issue and that both sides had agreed “not to speak publicly about long-range missiles for now.”
Putin, in turn, vowed to strengthen Russia’s air-defense systems to intercept any Tomahawks supplied to Ukraine. He reiterated that Ukraine cannot launch long-range strikes without Western support and warned that lifting restrictions on Kyiv’s use of such weapons would mean NATO countries are “directly at war with Russia.”
