Tomahawk missiles successfully hit Russian air defence in Syria in 2017-2018 – Ukraine's anti-disinformation centre

US long-range Tomahawk missiles successfully struck Russian air defence targets during operations in Syria in 2017-2018, according to Andrii Kovalenko, Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.

Source: Kovalenko on Telegram

Quote: "The experience of strikes on Syria in 2017-2018 – launches of cruise missile arrays on airfields and targets in Damascus and Homs – showed that Russian and Syrian claims of mass shoot‑downs were largely informational in nature: independent assessments confirmed that the majority of munitions reached their targets.

The technical reason is simple: the Tomahawk flies low with a complex, combined navigation system; detection by radars gives only seconds to react, so effective interception requires a dense network of low‑horizon radars, instantaneous transmission of targeting data and synchronised operation of air defence assets – Russian systems were covering Syrian targets at the time and did not succeed.

The Tomahawk is especially effective in array launches, as overloading air defences with multiple targets increases the chance of success. Russian S-400 or Pantsir systems are weak against the Tomahawk."

Details: According to Kovalenko, it is vital to develop Ukraine's own massed, long-range strike capabilities to create the logistical capacity for overwhelming strikes, while simultaneously intensifying air defence reconnaissance and integration with its partners. Without a reliable detection network, any air defence system can become a propaganda tool rather than a genuine protective asset.

"The Russians may face unpleasant surprises. They have themselves to blame – they could have stopped the war," he concluded.

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