Major update on US arming Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles – but there’s a catch

Ukraine has been given the green light by the Pentagon to receive deadly long-range Tomahawk missiles. The boost for Kyiv still depends on final approval by Donald Trump. Earlier, the US president appeared ready to supply the weapons but changed his mind after talking to Vladimir Putin saying “we need them” to protect America.

But now three US and European officials have made clear there are sufficient Tomahawks in US stockpiles to supply Ukraine, reported CNN. The original Trump decision not to supply Tomahawks disappointed Ukraine, but Putin’s refusal to engage with peace moves may have given a new impetus to the White House to agree to send the missiles. Trump may also react after Kyiv intelligence reports that Russia has fired its nuclear capable Novator 9M729 at least 23 times into Ukraine since August. Six years ago, in his first term, Trump abruptly tore up the intermediate nuclear forces treaty after Moscow refused to destroy its stocks of the missile, originally designed to strike Europe.

The fresh prospect of Ukraine receiving Tomahawks – which could strike military targets at least 1,000 miles inside Russia – comes amid new humiliation for Putin. Ukrainian drones overnight hit the Zhukovsky suburb of Moscow plunging it into darkness.

A hit on a power plant cut electricity in a location which includes a civilian and military airport. Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin said: “Air defence shot down a drone flying towards Moscow.

“Emergency service specialists are working at the crash site of the debris.”

Putin’s forces continued attacks on civilians, with the Dnipropetrovsk region under Russian drone fire overnight, with an apartment block hit.

A woman pensioner was injured in a strike on Chernihiv region and gas infrastructure was damaged in a Russian drone attack on Poltava region in Ukraine.