Russia will shoot down "Tomahawk" cruise missiles and bomb their launchers if the United States decides to deliver them to Ukraine. This was warned by Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of the Russian parliament's defense committee, quoted by "Reuters".
He stressed that Moscow would find a painful way to respond to Washington.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump said he would like to know what Ukraine plans to do with the "Tomahawk" before agreeing to provide the missiles because he does not want to escalate the war between Russia and Ukraine. However, he admitted that he had "made some decision" on the issue.
"Our response will be firm, ambiguous, measured and asymmetrical. We will find ways to harm those who cause us problems", emphasized Kartapolov, a former deputy defense minister.
He does not believe that the "Tomahawks" will change anything on the battlefield, even if they are delivered to Ukraine, as he noted that they can only be given in small quantities - dozens, not hundreds.
"We know these missiles very well: how they fly, how to shoot them down; we have worked with them in Syria, so there is nothing new. The only problems will be for those who deliver them and for those who use them; "that's where the problems will be," Kartapolov insisted.
He said Moscow had seen no signs so far that Ukraine was preparing Tomahawk launch sites - something he said Kiev would not be able to hide if it received such missiles. If and when that happens, Russia will use drones and missiles to destroy all the launchers, Kartapolov threatened.
Separately, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov urged Washington to "soberly" assess the situation surrounding the potential Tomahawk missile deliveries. He said any such decision would be a serious escalation that would lead to a "significant" change in the situation.