Retired Russian Lieutenant General Yevgeny Buzhinsky believes that the United States is unlikely to go as far as transferring Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine.

He cautioned against viewing the Tomahawk as some kind of «miracle weapon,» noting that it has already been tested in numerous conflicts and entered service back in the 1980s. The missile carries a powerful 450-kilogram warhead and flies at a low altitude, making it a formidable weapon, but not without its limitations.

According to Buzhinsky, effective use of Tomahawks against strong air defenses is possible only when launched in large salvos. He stressed that the United States usually fires them in volleys of more than a hundred missiles, rather than individually. Therefore, the idea that Washington might provide Ukraine with such quantities, he said, is simply unrealistic.

He also pointed to other obstacles. The United States, he argued, lacks the necessary launch systems to hand over to Ukraine. Moreover, Tomahawks can only be operated by American specialists — from target selection and guidance to flight control. Given that, Buzhinsky found it hard to imagine the U.S. taking such a drastic step that would amount to direct escalation with Russia. In his view, the discussion around Tomahawks appears to be more of a propaganda issue than a real military option.

The general recalled that Ukraine already uses Scalp and Storm Shadow missiles, built with similar technology to the Tomahawk, yet Russia’s air defenses have been able to intercept them successfully. He noted that during an attack on the Crimean Bridge involving twelve Scalp missiles, all twelve were shot down. Russian S-300, S-400, and Buk systems, he said, are capable of intercepting such targets. The Tomahawk only differs in having a longer range, which, according to him, is no reason to exaggerate its importance.

Buzhinsky concluded by pointing out that the production rate of Tomahawk missiles is only about 50 to 90 units per year — another reason, he said, why the United States is unlikely to «generously hand out» these weapons to Ukraine.