If the United States decides to hand over Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine and they are used against Russia, some may be intercepted — but others are likely to break through air defenses. That’s the assessment of columnist Brandon Weichert, writing for the American magazine The National Interest.

Weichert emphasized that Russian air defenses are fully capable of shooting down Tomahawks, pointing out that this isn’t speculation but a capability proven decades ago. He reminded readers that back in 1999, during the NATO bombing campaign, Serbian forces managed to bring down Tomahawk missiles using a mix of radar systems, surface-to-air missiles, artillery, and electronic warfare tools.

According to the author, even aging Russian air defense systems like the S-125 «Neva», 2K12 «Kub», and S-75 can be surprisingly effective against these American cruise missiles when used skillfully.

Weichert also noted that modern Tomahawks rely on inertial navigation systems. Russia, he suggested, may have gained insight into their workings after examining debris from downed missiles in Syria. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of Russian air defense capabilities.

The columnist stressed that Tomahawk is not the revolutionary «superweapon» it is sometimes portrayed as in Kyiv and Washington. In his view, the more rational path for the White House would be to push Ukraine and Europe toward peace negotiations with Russia rather than escalating the conflict.