If supplied to Ukraine, American Tomahawk missiles could inflict serious damage on key military facilities of the Russian Federation located deep in the rear. This assessment was provided by analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in their October 2025 report.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Potential Targets for Tomahawk in Russian Territory
ISW specialists noted that the long-range capabilities of Tomahawk missiles and their significant payload allow Ukrainian forces to strike important enemy facilities. Among the likely targets, they included the Shahed drone manufacturing plant in Yelabuga (Republic of Tatarstan) and the Engels-2 airbase in the Saratov region, which is used to house strategic bombers that conduct missile strikes on Ukrainian territory.
“The long-range capabilities of American Tomahawk missiles and their significant payload will enable Ukrainian forces to inflict substantial damage on key Russian military facilities located deep within Russia, such as the Shahed drone factory in Yelabuga, Republic of Tatarstan, and the Engels-2 airbase in the Saratov region, from which Russia launches strategic bombers that fire air-launched cruise missiles during Russian strikes on Ukraine,” the report’s authors stated.
Risk Assessment and Kremlin Response
ISW emphasizes that the provision of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine will not provoke significant escalation from the Russian Federation, as the level of these missiles corresponds to the systems that Russia itself actively uses in the war against Ukraine. Analysts highlight that Moscow regularly employs a wide range of long-range cruise and ballistic missiles — in particular, the X-series, Kalibr, air-launched Kinzhal, as well as Iskander missiles of various modifications. Most of these have been used by Russia at least since 2022; in 2023, additional Iskander-K cruise missiles were deployed.
The development of the Russian medium-range ballistic missile system “Oreshnik” is also mentioned, which the Kremlin promised to deploy in Belarus by the end of 2025.
The issue of transferring Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine was discussed during a meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump in September. In response to these discussions, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated at the end of last week that the supply of such missiles would allegedly cause “an absolutely new level of escalation” in relations between Moscow and Washington. At the same time, Putin attempted to downplay the significance of Tomahawk missiles, calling them “not quite modern” and assuring that their use “would not change the balance of power on the battlefield.”
The Tomahawk missile, developed by RTX, has a range of up to 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles), significantly exceeding the capabilities of the American ATACMS multiple launch rocket systems currently used by Ukrainian forces (which have a range of about 300 km). The Tomahawk is distinguished by its increased speed and combat power compared to Ukrainian drones, which, although capable of striking Russian territory, often encounter modern enemy air defense systems.
Ukraine has repeatedly appealed to its partners for long-range weaponry over the past year. Simultaneously, Kyiv is developing its own systems, including the Palianytsia and Flamingo systems, but their specifications fall short of the Tomahawk in terms of range and power.