This article reviews data on the incidence of ARVIs and novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in the Russian Federation and key antiviral therapies for ARVI and discusses recent published data on the use of various antivirals for COVID-19 treatment, with particular attention to potential biological drug targets. Data from several studies on the broad-spectrum antiviral drug riamilovir are addressed. Riamilovir was found to be highly effective with good tolerability and a favorable safety profile. The range of antiviral activity of riamilovir has significantly expanded over the past few years. In particular, this drug can be used for both the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Riamilovir was approved by the Russian Ministry of Health not only for ARVI but also for COVID-19 infection and was included in the Clinical Protocol for the inpatient treatment of patients with COVID-19 admitted to Moscow public health system medical institutions. Moreover, riamilovir is also included in the Standard for the diagnosis and treatment of novel coronavirus infection in military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation as an etiologic agent of choice for COVID-19 treatment. © 2023, Meditsina-Inform LLC. All rights reserved.