[citation needed] In its initial flight, the Oniks utilizes thrust from a solid rocket booster mounted inside the combustion chamber of its ramjet to get up to cruise speed.

[citation needed] In 2010 Sergei Prikhodko, senior adviser to the Russian President, has said that Russia intends to deliver P-800 to Syria based on the contracts signed in 2007.

[11] In May 2013, Russia continued the contract delivery to the Syrian government supplying missiles with an advanced radar to make them more effective to counter any future foreign military invasion.

[citation needed] Ukrainian Air Force Spokesperson Yurii Ihnat mentioned that the flight profile of the missile is of particular concern: "Onyx missiles are designed to destroy watercraft, and ships, it flies at a speed of 3000 km per hour, that is, very fast,... On the march [cruising], it can rise high, and when entering the target, it can actually fly 10–15 meters above the water to destroy the ship."

[21] On 20 August 2024, at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi for the first time announced data on how many weapons Russia has used since 2022, as well as how many were intercepted.