Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned on Thursday that Russia would respond if the United States decided to transfer Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
Peskov's comments came days after US Vice President JD Vance said the US was considering Ukraine's request for these missiles with a range of up to 1,600 kilometres.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly urged US President Donald Trump, during a private meeting at the UN General Assembly on September 23, to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles.
These missiles are important to Ukraine, as they have the ability to fly at low altitudes, perform evasive maneuvers, and can be reprogrammed in flight. These characteristics make them very effective for attacks on command centers and logistics points deep behind the front lines.
According to Zelensky, legitimate targets could also include centers of power, including the Kremlin.
Currently, Ukraine uses Western Storm Shadow missiles with a range of 250 kilometers, while Russia has a huge advantage with Kalibr cruise missiles.
To compensate for this disadvantage, Ukraine has sought the use of long-range drones to strike Russian military bases and fuel depots.