tech
Inside the startup drone maker powering Ukraine's deep-strike campaign
Fire Point CEO Iryna Terekh says Ukraine has "learned the hard way" that military leverage is integral to to bringing diplomacy within reach.
TL;DR
- Fire Point, Ukraine's leading arms company, has seen exponential growth since its founding in 2022, producing hundreds of drones and aiming for over 100,000 by year-end.
- CEO Iryna Terekh believes military strength, including deep strikes into Russian territory, is essential for diplomacy with Russia.
- The company is working on developing ballistic missile interceptors at a lower cost than U.S. systems, but faces challenges due to European bureaucracy and funding delays for its Flamingo cruise missile.
- Ukrainian drone attacks, including those targeting Russian economic infrastructure, are seen as a strategy to increase pressure on Russia.
- Terekh criticizes European bureaucracy, stating it hinders production capabilities that would be more efficient in other European countries.