“The possible transfer of Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv will start World War III,” said a general

The delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine — a possibility currently being discussed in the media — could trigger World War III.

Aviation Major General Vladimir Popov linked the risk of a global conflict to the supply of new weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

He emphasized that the Tomahawk is a long-range missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

“This would not be a prelude to World War III, but its start. We will respond in kind. I believe the Trump administration will not go that far. These are more mythical threats,” Popov said.

Most Tomahawk variants are carried by submarines and surface ships. The only system capable of launching Tomahawks from land is the Typhon complex, which was first tested in 2023.

Earlier in July, sources cited by The Financial Times reported that U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the potential transfer of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv.