Kyiv does not target civilian populations in Russia and adheres to international law. Discussions with Western partners regarding long-range weaponry are strictly limited to military objectives and Russian military infrastructure.

Amid ongoing talks among Western allies over providing Ukraine with U.S. Tomahawk long-range missiles, Russian propaganda escalated a disinformation campaign. Seeking to undermine a potential U.S. decision to supply advanced weaponry, Kremlin-linked media falsely claimed that President Volodymyr Zelensky had openly admitted to planning terrorist strikes inside Russia using American missiles.

Screenshot – vz.ru. «Moscow claims Kyiv is preparing terrorist attacks with Tomahawk missiles»

Russian propaganda distorted Zelensky’s October 12, 2025, interview with Fox News, selectively quoting him to suggest otherwise. In reality, the Ukrainian president emphasized that any use of U.S.-supplied Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles would be strictly limited to military targets.

Zelensky underscored that Ukraine operates within international law and refrains from targeting civilians, in contrast to Russian tactics that deliberately terrorize peaceful populations. He added that Kyiv’s military actions aim to cut off Russia’s ability to generate revenue from energy exports, thereby weakening the Kremlin’s war effort.

«Russia sells energy resources, receives the proceeds, and channels them into its military. In my view, the key to limiting Russia’s ability to sustain this protracted war is to exert pressure on Putin—both diplomatically and on the battlefield. Above all, we must diminish Russia’s capacity to continue fighting. That is why our discussions focus solely on military targets. Despite the immense pain—losses of families, soldiers, civilians, and children—we have never targeted Russian civilians. This starkly distinguishes Ukraine from Russia. When we discuss long-range missiles, our intent is exclusively on military objectives,» Zelensky said (see video at 17:20).

Following his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the night of October 18, 2025, Zelensky confirmed that discussions centered on Ukraine’s capacity to target Russian military infrastructure. He noted that Russia’s concern extends beyond Tomahawk missiles alone, focusing also on how Ukraine could integrate these systems with other defensive capabilities.

«To carry out operations strictly against military targets you need a mix of capabilities — drones paired with other weapon systems; some elements are still missing,» President Volodymyr Zelensky said. «We do have indigenous tools coming into production, but time is not on our side. I believe the Russians fear Tomahawks because they are powerful, and they understand how we could combine them with other systems. That is why they are taking various countermeasures and sending signals — just not to us» (see video at 12:19 and 15:23).

Ukraine and its allies are reportedly discussing the targeted use of long‑range weaponry against Russian military infrastructure — a strategy aimed squarely at degrading the Kremlin’s ability to sustain its war effort rather than striking civilian populations.

It should be emphasized that Ukraine’s military operations do not constitute «terrorist acts.» Under the UN Charter, Kyiv retains the right to self‑defense against Russian aggression. Targeting Russian military bases does not breach international law, in stark contrast to Russia, whose ongoing invasion violates multiple legal frameworks, including the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, and the Paris Charter, all of which uphold state sovereignty and territorial integrity. Moscow’s actions also contravene the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, which codify fundamental rules of armed conflict.

The Russian claim that Western weapons are «ineffective» on the Ukrainian battlefield extends a broader Kremlin narrative aimed at discrediting military assistance to Kyiv. Russian media have repeatedly circulated disinformation suggesting that Western arms deliveries fail to help Ukraine repel Russian aggression. StopFake has previously debunked similar narratives, including Fake: US General Called F-16 Fighters Useless for the Armed Forces, Fake: F‑16s Only Enhanced Russia and Putin’s Image, and Manipulation: Ukraine and the West Preparing Terrorist Acts in Crimea.