Russian military correspondent Alexander Kots assessed the possible transfer of U. S. Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, warning that any launch of such weapons toward Russia could trigger a nuclear response.

He explained that the Tomahawk is a nuclear-capable missile that can be equipped with a nuclear warhead. While, in his view, Ukraine would not be supplied with nuclear-armed versions, there would be no external marking on the missile to indicate whether it was conventional or nuclear. For that reason, Russia’s response to a Tomahawk launch could be nuclear.

Kots described the potential transfer as «not just a red line, but a red button.»

He also suggested that Washington’s interest in providing Tomahawks stems from the Pentagon’s desire to test the missile in real combat against a strong adversary, with Ukraine serving as what he called an «ideal testing ground.»

At the same time, Kots noted that if the missiles proved ineffective and were intercepted by Russian air defenses, the result would be a serious blow to the reputation of the American defense industry-something U.S. officials would also want to avoid.