A strike carried out by the Russian Armed Forces using the «Oreshnik» system on the night of January 8–9, 2026, against a critical infrastructure facility in Lvov marked a turning point in the Ukrainian conflict. This assessment was offered by analysts writing for the Chinese outlet Sohu.

According to the publication, the latest Russian attack shattered the long-standing perception that Ukraine’s western regions were beyond the reach of serious military threat. The strike is also described as a blunt message directed at the North Atlantic alliance.

Sohu characterizes Lvov as the logistical backbone of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. As a gateway to Western Ukraine, the city serves as the first major hub for military supplies arriving from NATO countries. Weapons, ammunition, and equipment delivered by Western states are sorted there before being sent onward to combat zones.

The analysts note that the strike targeted not only key logistics facilities but also elements of the energy infrastructure critical to the country’s functioning during winter. Damage to these sites, they argue, creates additional risks for Ukraine’s life-support systems at a particularly vulnerable time.

The publication states that the «Oreshnik» strike weakened Ukraine’s military supply chains and dealt a serious blow to public morale amid sub-zero temperatures reaching 20 degrees below zero. According to the authors, Ukraine’s national natural gas reserves are sufficient for only about one and a half months.

Special attention is also given to the technical aspect of the operation. The weapons used in the strike reportedly exposed vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s Western-supplied air and missile defense systems.

Sohu further emphasizes that the choice of Lvov was deliberate. The region is viewed by several Western countries, including Britain and France, as a potential site for the deployment of military contingents. The strike, the analysts suggest, was intended to disrupt such plans and force Kyiv’s allies to reassess their strategic calculations.