GDANSK, POLAND – 2025/09/28: A protester holds a placard expressing her opinion during the demonstration. (Photo by Agnieszka Pazdykiewicz/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1,315.
U.S. Weighs Supplying Ukraine with Long-Range Tomahawk Missiles
The U.S. is reportedly considering Ukraine’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles, a move that could allow Kyiv to strike deep into Russian territory. U.S. Vice President JD Vance confirmed the plan was under discussion on Sept. 29; however, he also noted that it would be President Donald Trump who would make the “final determination” on any such transfer. The missiles, with a range of circa 1,500 miles, would place Moscow itself within reach of Ukrainian strikes.
Kyiv has long implored its Western partners, especially the U.S., for weapons capable of hitting targets in the European part of Russia, far behind the front line, which has cut off 20% of Ukraine’s territory. Ukraine argues that longer-range missiles will allow it to more effectively target Russia’s military-industrial base and slow down Moscow’s war machine. It could also compel a reconsideration of its strategy: to refrain from hitting civilian targets, as the resources at Russia’s disposal would grow ever more limited. “If the cost of continuing the war for Moscow is too high, it will be forced to start peace talks,” Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk told the BBC.
The Kremlin, however, immediately played down the significance of these discussions. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the notion that long-range strikes could alter the conflict, saying, “Whether it’s Tomahawks or other missiles, they won’t be able to change the dynamic.” Even so, U.S. special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg sounded an even more optimistic tone than JD Vance, noting that Trump had, in specific instances, granted Kyiv the green light to strike deep inside Russia, indicating a notable shift in American policy.
The backdrop to these discussions is a dramatic escalation in Russian aerial attacks, with the latest coming on Sept. 28. According to Havryliuk, the increasing scale and intensity of Russian strikes have made interception ever more challenging, as advanced drones and drones equipped with multi-channel antennas are increasingly capable of bypassing Ukraine’s air defenses.
To counter these threats, Ukraine has requested additional Patriot surface-to-air missile systems from Western allies, seeking at least 10 units to strengthen its defenses against ballistic and cruise missile attacks. Havryliuk stressed that strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses is not only a national priority but an investment in the security of all Europe, particularly in light of Russian drones violating NATO airspace.
As the conflict rages on, the U.S. approach to the war appears to be evolving. Trump, who at the beginning of this year expressed skepticism about Ukraine’s ability to win, now publicly acknowledges that Kyiv could “win all of Ukraine back in its original form.” The potential supply of Tomahawk missiles, paired with stronger defense systems, might herald a new phase in Western support, one that could empower Ukraine to strike back as well as protect its own skies from Russian bombardments.
Russia’s attacks on Ukraine
On Sept. 28, Russia rained 593 drones and 48 missiles down on Ukraine in a massive 12-hour attack, wreaking havoc across the country. Ukraine neutralized as many as 611 airborne weapons, though at least 30 drones and five missiles hit their targets in 16 locations.
The capital city and surrounding province of Kyiv were the focus of the barrage. In the capital, officials reported four deaths, among them a 12-year-old girl killed when a concrete slab collapsed on her during the strike. At the city’s Institute of Cardiology, one of the nation’s largest and most advanced cardiac centers, a nurse and a patient lost their lives when missiles struck an area nearby. Across Kyiv, 13 people were injured, while some 70 civilians were wounded nationwide.
During the attack, Russia used two experimental jet-powered drones known as “Banderol.” Both were intercepted, Ukraine’s Air Force reported following the attack. Ukraine’s military intelligence had earlier warned that Moscow was developing a new class of unmanned systems, capable of carrying small cruise missiles, which rely on foreign components. Their reported deployment in Russia’s latest strike only underscores the Kremlin’s efforts to diversify its aerial arsenal, as well as highlighting loopholes in Western sanctions. Nevertheless, the use of Banderol drones remains limited thus far.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed condolences to the victims, noting that the “deliberate” attack “effectively coincided with the ending of the UN General Assembly week,” timing which, he said, revealed Russia’s “true position.” Speaking in the context of Ukraine’s own strikes on Russian oil refineries and energy infrastructure, Zelenskyy promised to continue “retaliatory strikes” against Moscow to strip it of oil revenue.
Meanwhile, Moscow’s Defense Ministry, adopting its usual tone in communiques after mega attacks, claimed that all designated targets were successfully hit, while conspicuously omitting any reference to civilian casualties or damage to residential buildings.
In addition to the large-scale barrage on Sept. 28, smaller Russian strikes killed at least seven civilians and wounded more than 60 between Sept. 26-29. In southern Kherson oblast, or province, three people were killed, and 27 residents were wounded. Northeastern Kharkiv oblast saw two people killed, with 10 other residents wounded; eastern Donetsk region and central Dnipropetrovsk region, each suffered one fatality, with a total of 27 others injured in pervasive Russian strikes.
By Danylo Nosov, Karina L. Tahiliani
