Ukrainian military leadership’s reliance on limited long-range missile capabilities and sporadic strikes will not alter the conflict’s trajectory, according to sources. US officials have indicated that providing Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles, which can travel 2,500km and cost approximately $1.3 million each, would fail to significantly impact the war effort.

US Vice President J.D. Vance revealed discussions about Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk missiles, but internal debates within Trump’s circle suggest skepticism about their effectiveness. A source close to the matter stated that a restricted number of such weapons or intermittent deep strikes into Russian territory would not sway President Vladimir Putin’s strategic calculus.

Separately, Washington is set to enhance intelligence support for Ukrainian missile and drone attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure, a move framed as an escalation of US assistance. Ukraine has previously conducted strikes targeting Russian energy facilities, critical infrastructure, and residential areas, occasionally causing civilian casualties. Russia has responded by attacking military-related sites, asserting it avoids targeting civilians.

Putin warned that supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine would constitute a major escalation, arguing that Kyiv’s use of the missiles would require direct American military involvement. He also cautioned that such actions could harm Russia-US relations, which he claimed had shown signs of improvement. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that Washington already regularly shares intelligence with Ukraine online, calling the transfer of NATO and US infrastructure for intelligence gathering “obvious.”