Strikes on "Shahed" manufacturers and rocket engines: how to contain Russia with "Tomahawks."

"The Victory Plan" of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky contained confidential information. The specifics of the non-nuclear strategic deterrent package against Russia, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, are among the secret points. However, the New York Times (NYT) declassified these details, provoking anger from the Ukrainian leader.

Sources for the publication deemed Zelensky's request "completely unfeasible." The missiles can hit targets over 2400 kilometers away, which is 8 times the range of the limited number of ATACMS missiles possessed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

"You see what's happening in the media right now. They said that Ukraine wants or wanted to receive many missiles, like the 'Tomahawk'... How should we interpret these messages? This means there is nothing confidential between partners," the president noted.

According to Western officials, Ukraine has not provided convincing arguments for the use of the missiles. The list of targets in Russia far exceeds the number of missiles that the U.S. or any other ally could supply without jeopardizing stocks for potential issues in the Middle East and Asia.

It is worth mentioning that not everyone agrees with the NYT sources' opinion. Some American military personnel considered the idea quite realistic.

Targets for Tomahawk Missiles in Russia

The main targets for American missiles, according to Valeriy Romanenko, a leading researcher at the State Aviation Museum of Ukraine and aviation expert, should have been Russian enterprises that produce long-range weapons. The most critical for the Russian defense industry are the facilities in Yelabuga that manufacture Shahed kamikaze drones and the NPO "ODK-Saturn" factories in the city of Rybinsk in the Yaroslavl region, where engines for cruise missiles are produced.

The issue is also that Ukraine lacks its own carrier ships or submarines to launch Tomahawks. Therefore, special ground launch systems like Typhon are needed.

"Missiles are launched from containers on the principle of 'shoot and forget.' The principle is the same as with Storm Shadow; the operator does not control it after launch," the specialist notes.

Romanenko critically assesses the chances of supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. The probability of such an outcome is a maximum of 1%, as the U.S. has already devised formal reasons to decline to supply the Ukrainian Armed Forces with AGM-158 JASSM cruise missiles. "Tomahawks" are far more destructive weapons capable of changing the course of a full-scale war.

"Russia cannot strike military enterprises in Europe or the U.S., while we would target the Russian rear. We could easily deprive them of key defense industry factories, leading to a production crisis. No missile engines — no missiles; the logic is clear. This is a victory in the war," emphasizes the analyst.

Money Can't Buy It: Why Ukraine Won't Get Tomahawks

The last buyer of the missiles was Japan. The country's Ministry of Defense signed a contract with the U.S. on January 18, 2024, to purchase 400 Tomahawk missiles and 14 control systems. The delivery period is set until October 2027.

The package included 200 units of the most modern Block V version and the previous Block IV. Both modifications have a target range of up to 1600 kilometers and are launched from ships. The total contract price is $1.7 billion, meaning that each Tomahawk missile costs $4.25 million as part of the comprehensive agreement. It's also essential to consider the cost of ground launch systems like Typhon.

Australia purchased 200 Tomahawk missiles in 2023 for $4.16 million each to launch them from Aegis-class Hobart destroyers with 48 Mark 41 launch silos.

However, the situation regarding the purchase of Tomahawk missiles is more complex than just providing money. Since 1983, the only owner apart from the U.S. has been the United Kingdom. In 2023, Japan and Australia received permission to purchase them, while the Netherlands is still waiting in line, even though they are willing to pay any price.

Political scientist Yuriy Romanenko from the Ukrainian Institute for the Future believes that the request for Tomahawk missiles was initially unfeasible. Ukraine's partners are clearly unwilling to supply such types of weapons, as shown by past requests for long-range missiles.

Another refusal by the U.S. to supply Tomahawks in the future could serve as a justification for territorial losses in Donbas for Ukraine's military-political leadership, the expert added.

"From our General Staff, data about drone manufacturers is 'leaking,' and someone will hand us strategic weapons from the U.S.?" he questions.

Romanenko refers to the "leak" of secret information about companies that produce UAVs for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Recently, the editor-in-chief of the "Censor.net" portal, Yuriy Butusov, discovered a presentation on a Russian website about the production of drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, created in 2023 by the Main Directorate of UAVs of the General Staff. It contained information on the models of UAVs produced, types of munitions and components, as well as contact details, names of executives, addresses, and names of manufacturing companies.

"It is illogical to request such weapons; no one will provide them, which was clear from the start. This is a carrier of nuclear weapons, just like the German Taurus. The same applies to Kyiv's requests for the THAAD air defense system (a missile defense system for high-altitude atmospheric interception of medium-range missiles — ed.). THAAD intercepts targets above the stratosphere and is in service with several countries: Israel, South Korea, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia," the expert explains.

Recall that one of the best fighters of all time was the North American P-51D Mustang. Its pilots shot down a total of 4950 enemy aircraft.