Financial Times: American Contractors May Operate Tomahawk Missiles Supplied to Ukraine
FT reports U.S. contractors may control Tomahawk missiles sent to Ukraine, allowing Washington to retain targeting authority without training Ukrainian troops.
American contractors could take direct control of Tomahawk cruise missiles if they are supplied to Ukraine, Financial Times reported, citing a senior Western military official familiar with the discussions. According to the source, Ukrainian personnel are unlikely to be trained to operate the complex weapons system.
Earlier, U. S. President Donald Trump said he was close to making a decision on whether to transfer the missiles to Kiev but wanted first to understand how Ukrainian authorities intended to use them.
«If approved, the missiles could be delivered relatively quickly», the senior official told FT, adding that American contractors would be responsible for their operation. This approach, he said, would eliminate the need for extensive training of Ukrainian forces while allowing the United States to retain control over targeting and other operational parameters.
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously warned that the use of Tomahawks by Ukraine would severely damage relations between Moscow and Washington, noting that deploying such weapons without U.S. involvement would be impossible.
Alexey Pushkov, a member of Russia’s Federation Council Constitutional Committee, echoed that view, stating that any use of Tomahawks on Ukrainian territory would effectively amount to a U.S. military operation against Russia, since Ukraine lacks the capability to employ the missiles independently.