Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow threatens to create ‘problems’ for Europe if Kyiv gets Tomahawk missiles

Ukrainian forces were inflicting heavy losses in a counteroffensive in eastern Donetsk region, Volodymyr Zelensky said, contrasting Vladimir Putin’s claims that Russia holds the initiative in the region.

Speaking in his nightly video address, Zelensky said he spoke for almost an hour to top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi, with “particular attention on the Dobropillia operation, our counteroffensive”.

He described heavy casualties in the area.Ukraine has pointed to successes in Dobropillia, just north of the logistics hub of Pokrovsk, one of the key targets in Russia’s slow advance westward through Donetsk region.

Ukrainian forces, Zelensky said, were “defending ourselves along all other directions,” referring specifically to Kupiansk, a largely destroyed town in northeastern Ukraine under heavy Russian assaults for months.

He also described conditions as “difficult” around Novopavlivka, farther south in Zaporizhzhia region, but said “our active defensive actions there are showing good results”.

The region has been the main theatre of the more than three and a half years of war in Ukraine.

Russia will create “problems” for Europe if Donald Trump allows Tomahawk missiles to be sent to Ukraine, a senior Russian official has said.

Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian parliament’s defence committee, suggested Moscow would retaliate against any country that supplies the missiles to Ukraine.

“We know these missiles very well, how they fly, how to shoot them down; we worked with them in Syria, so there is nothing new. The only problems will be for those who supply them and those who use them; that’s where the problems will be,” he said.

“Our response will be tough, ambiguous, measured, and asymmetrical. We will find ways to hurt those who cause us trouble,” said Kartapolov, the head of the Russian parliament’s defence committee.

Kartapolov, a former deputy defence minister, said he did not think Tomahawks would change anything on the battlefield even if they were supplied to Ukraine as he said they could only be given in small numbers – in tens rather than hundreds.

Russia’s deputy foreign minister also warned Washington against allowing Tomahawk missiles to be sent to Ukraine, describing it as a potentially “qualitative” change in US involvement in the war.

Russia will respond harshly if the United States supplies Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian parliament’s defence committee, said on Wednesday, the state RIA news agency reported.

“We know these missiles very well, how they fly, how to shoot them down, we worked on them in Syria, so there is nothing new,” RIA cited him as saying.

“Only those who supply them and those who use them will have problems,” Kartapolov said.

On Friday, Moscow launched its largest attack on Ukrainian gas infrastructure since the start of the war, which the CEO of state oil and gas company Naftogaz said caused critical damage to facilities.

There were further strikes on civilian gas supply infrastructure over the weekend. Ukraine has also ramped up drone attacks on Russian oil refineries and facilities in recent weeks. It is so far unclear to what extent the strikes have hurt Ukraine’s domestic gas production.

A massive wave of Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities in March reduced production by over a third, meaning that the latest attacks could have similar or larger impact.

The disruption comes at a crucial time for Ukraine as it scrambles to refill storage facilities before the onset of winter, when gas demand for heating soars.

Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian parliament’s defence committee, has joined in Moscow’s warnings against the US sending Tomahawks to Ukraine.

If and when that happened, he said, Russia would use drones and missiles to destroy any launchers.

Kartapolov, a former deputy defence minister, said he did not think Tomahawks would change anything on the battlefield even if they were supplied to Ukraine as he said they could only be given in small numbers – in tens rather than hundreds.

“We know these missiles very well, how they fly, how to shoot them down; we worked with them in Syria, so there is nothing new. The only problems will be for those who supply them and those who use them; that’s where the problems will be,” he told the RIA state news agency.

Kartapolov also said Moscow had so far seen no signs that Ukraine was preparing launch sites for Tomahawks, something he said Kyiv would not be able to hide if it got such missiles.

Russia will respond harshly if the United States supplies Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian parliament’s defence committee, said on Wednesday, the state RIA news agency reported.

“We know these missiles very well, how they fly, how to shoot them down, we worked on them in Syria, so there is nothing new,” RIA cited him as saying.

“Only those who supply them and those who use them will have problems,” Mr Kartapolov said.

Vladimir Putin has claimed Ukrainian forces are retreating and that Russia holds the initiative in its invasion of its European neighbour.

Describing seizing Ukrainian territory as “liberation”, he boasted of Russia’s military successes this year at a meeting in St Petersburg.

According to a Kremlin transcript, he said: “At this time, the Russian armed forces fully hold the strategic initiative.

“This year, we have liberated nearly 5,000 square km of territory – 4,900 – and 212 localities.

“Ukrainian forces, he said, “are retreating throughout the line of combat contact, despite attempts at fierce resistance.”

His comments were echoed by General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia’s armed forces, who told the meeting of top commanders that his troops were “advancing in practically all directions.”

Ukrainian forces, he said, were focused on slowing the Russian advance.

Gerasimov, overall commander of Russia’s war effort, said the heaviest fighting was gripping Pokrovsk and areas towards Dnipropetrovsk.