The Kremlin is pressing to block US transfers of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, fearful that expanded long-range strike capabilities would erode the sanctuary Russia currently enjoys in its rear, reported the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in a message on X.

Moscow’s objections come as Kyiv pushes for weapons that could reach deep into Russian territory and strike critical military infrastructure, a shift that would mark a major change in the conflict’s balance. US think-tank ISW has assessed that thousands of Russian military sites fall within the ranges of different Tomahawk variants.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin continues attempts to deter the US from sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine by linking improvements in the US-Russian bilateral relationship to concessions from the United States on the war in Ukraine," the ISW post said.

"The Kremlin is trying to prevent the United States from providing Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine in order to retain the sanctuary that Russia enjoys in its rear."

 

Ukraine already conducts long-range drone strikes into Russia, but these platforms typically carry limited payloads unsuited to destroying hardened or specialised facilities, analysts say. By contrast, Western cruise missiles would give Kyiv the capacity to attempt more destructive strikes against production sites such as the Shahed drone factory in Yelabuga or air bases like Engels-2 in Saratov that support long-range operations.

Moscow has meanwhile expanded its own drone production, enlarging facilities in Yelabuga and stepping up nightly strike operations against Ukraine; observers note a marked increase in the scale of Russian long-range drone packages between January and September 2025.

Ukraine is developing domestic capabilities as well. Kyiv has reported mass production of the FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile, a long-range system with a large warhead on paper, but the weapon remains largely unproven and Ukraine faces a steep task to scale output.

So far, the Trump administration has pledged further intelligence sharing with Ukraine, but remained reluctant to supply Tomahawks.