Terekh, a former architect and survivor of the Bucha massacre, today runs the Fire Point company, which has become one of the most discussed names in the Ukrainian military industry.

At the company’s headquarters in Kiev, the motto “Quis nisi nos” – “Who, if not us” – symbolizes the effort to build new domestic military capabilities. The company’s main product is the “Flamingo” cruise missile, which Terekh says is capable of hitting targets at long distances.

One of these missiles reportedly traveled about 1,800 kilometers to hit a plant of the Russian company Avitek in Kirov, carrying a 1,150-kilogram warhead.

Terekh says the company has the capacity to produce up to 200 missiles per month, but the pace of production depends on contracts and financing. According to her, if some of the European funds were directed to the Flamingo program, production could increase significantly.

She also spoke about the FP-1 and FP-2 drones, saying that international interest has increased, but the priority remains supplying the Ukrainian military.

“A weapon that has not been tested in real conditions is meaningless. The Ukrainian battlefield is the most difficult test,” said Terekh, adding that many Western companies are already cooperating with Ukraine on research and development of military technologies.

Speaking about the European Freyja air defense project, she said the goal is to create interceptors at a lower cost than existing systems such as the Patriot missile system. According to her, a new European interceptor should cost less than a million dollars, while a Patriot missile could cost several million.

Terekh also revealed that Ukraine is developing its own ballistic missile program. The FP-7 missile is currently in the certification phase, while the FP-9 is expected to begin testing in the fall.

Asked about the criticism and controversy surrounding her company, she said that political decisions belong to state institutions, but warned that accusations without evidence could harm Ukraine’s interests during the war.

At 36, Terekh says she never imagined she would be running a rocket company. “It’s not just what you produce that matters. It’s the architecture of the system that matters,” she said.