Millennial woman designing Ukraine's own ballistic missile says it will soon put Moscow in reach
Updated on: September 8, 2026 / 9:13 AM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- Iryna Terekh, 34, CEO of Fire Point, one of Ukraine's largest drone makers, previously worked as an architect.
- Fire Point is developing long-range attack drones and advanced weapons, producing 300-400 drones daily.
- The company is months away from deploying Ukraine's first domestically designed and manufactured ballistic missile.
- Fire Point claims its cruise missile achieved a combat strike of over 1,000 miles, the longest on record.
- Ukrainian defense startups like Fire Point, Sine Engineering, and The Fourth Law are emerging as key innovators.
- The U.S. military is developing its own drone program inspired by Iranian designs, and a new U.S.-Ukraine defense agreement is expected.
- Terekh believes Ukraine's low bureaucracy, direct army communication, and reactive companies are key to its defense industry success.