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

Kyiv — Ukraine's most important weapons manufacturer wears mismatched earrings and a black knit dress.

"The good thing about being the boss is that you get to set the dress code," Iryna Terekh, the 34-year-old CEO of Fire Point, one of Ukraine's largest drone makers, told CBS News, grinning as she took a seat next to a model of one of the company's latest designs.

With her high heels, bright smile, and entourage of millennial assistants and executives, Terekh stands out in her factory, where throngs of middle-aged men lug drone parts, wield power tools and chain-smoke cigarettes. But she is hardly an exception in a country forced to reinvent itself since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022.

"When the full-scale invasion started, a lot of people had to review what could be their personal impact," she said. "You never really know what kind of knowledge and what kind of experience could be transformed and pivoted into something new."

Terekh's experience was in design and management.

Trained as an architect in the northern Ukrainian city of Irpin, she started building patios and outdoor furniture while also developing…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/