Russia has warned the United States that it would view the provision of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine as a “serious escalation”, after US president Donald Trump said he had “sort of made a decision” on Kyiv’s request for the weapon.
“This would be a serious escalation, which, at the same time, could not change the situation on the front lines for the Kyiv regime. But it is important to understand that ... we are talking about missiles that could be nuclear-capable,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
“We understand that we probably need to wait for clearer statements, if any come,” he added. “As for arms deliveries – first they take place and then statements are made. At least that is how it always was under the Biden administration ... We’ll see how it goes this time,” he added, referring to Mr Trump’s predecessor.
Mr Trump said on Monday that he had “sort of made a decision” on whether to approve Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of 2,500km that would put Moscow and most of European Russia within striking distance of Kyiv’s forces.
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“I think I want to find out what they’re doing with them. Where are they sending them? I guess I’d have to ask that question,” he added. “I would ask some questions. I’m not looking to escalate that war.”
Analysts doubt that Mr Trump will allow Ukraine to receive Tomahawks, given his long record of seeking better ties with Russia and his declared desire to be seen as a “president of peace”.
After returning to the White House in January claiming to be able to end Russia’s invasion of its neighbour in one day, he has been unwilling or unable to put enough pressure on the Kremlin to bring it to the negotiating table.
Mr Trump still boasts of having a good rapport with Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin, while also expressing disappointment at his refusal to discuss peace.
Mr Putin has warned that the supply of Tomahawks to Ukraine “would lead to the destruction of (Russia-US) relations, or at least the positive trends that have emerged in these relations.”
Russia launched fresh drone strikes in the early hours of Tuesday on Ukraine’s energy grid, causing blackouts in several northern and eastern regions and prompting national power firm Ukrenergo to urge customers to limit their electricity consumption.
Moscow’s forces have also intensified attacks on Ukraine’s rail network, which is crucial to passenger transport and the delivery of civilian goods and military supplies around Ukraine. Officials said a train depot and engines had been damaged in the eastern Poltava region.
Russia’s defence ministry said its troops shot down 184 Ukrainian attack drones, and claimed that one had hit the cooling tower of the Novovoronezh nuclear power station in western Russia, without affecting operations or causing serious damage or casualties.
Monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported shelling near the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine on Monday and said “risks are growing” at the facility, which Russian troops seized shortly after launching their full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The six-reactor plant – the biggest in Europe – is in shutdown mode but still needs power to cool its reactors and stores of spent nuclear fuel. Shelling that the Russians and the Ukrainians blamed on each other cut external electricity supply to the site late last month, forcing it to rely on diesel generators.
“The nuclear safety and security situation is clearly not improving. On the contrary, the risks are growing,” said IAEA director general Rafael Grossi.
“The plant has now been without off-site power for almost two weeks ... This is an extraordinarily challenging situation.”
