Ukraine's Female Architect-Turned-Defense-CEO Making Waves in Long-Range Strike Capabilities

She tours major international defence shows, negotiates with arms manufacturers and takes part in discussions on Europe’s rearmament. At 34, Iryna Terekh, an architect by training, heads Fire Point, a company that has become one of the driving forces behind Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities in the war with Russia. With her long hair tied back in a ponytail, a white top, beige jacket and wide-legged jeans, she stands out in an industry dominated by men in suits. She met with Agence France-Presse away from the exhibition halls at this week’s Farnborough International Airshow in the UK for an interview in Mayfair, central London. A month after attracting attention at the Eurosatory defence exhibition in France – where Fire Point repeatedly screened footage of an oil refinery near Moscow engulfed in flames after being hit by one of its drones – the company opted not to exhibit in Britain. “The next step has to be even better,” Terekh said, explaining she wants Fire Point’s next public appearance to make a big impact.