Over the past few months, no attack deep into Russia has occurred without drones manufactured by Fire Point. This was stated in an interview with The Guardian by the CEO and CTO of the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point, Iryna Terekh, reports UNN.
"Fire Point" produces 100 long-range Flamingo missiles and thousands of drones per month. It is this speed that allows for a sustained campaign of deep strikes against targets hundreds of miles inside Russia.
According to executive director Iryna Terekh, Fire Point produces FP-1 and FP-2 drones at a rate of "hundreds per day."
The publication notes that the company's development since its post-war founding in 2022 demonstrates the rapid growth of Ukraine's defense industry, which is finally providing its army with the long-range capabilities that the West denied at the beginning of the conflict.
"I am not aware of any deep strike attack that has taken place over the past few months without the use of our products," said Terekh. Missile and drone attacks using Fire Point munitions have occurred daily, "on average from five to fifteen times."
The Flamingo missiles, which can carry 1,150 kg of explosives sufficient to penetrate concrete walls, were used, among other instances, in June to attack a Russian military components plant in Cheboksary, over 600 miles from Kharkiv.
According to Terekh, their actual flight range was one of the "longest cruise missile missions in history," amounting to about 1,800 km due to the complexity of the flight trajectory. The publication states the missile costs about $600,000, which is cheaper than the American Tomahawk, which costs approximately $3.5 million.
The lighter FP-1 drones, used against less protected targets deep in the Russian rear, such as oil refineries, cost between $55,000 and $75,000. Such strikes have caused a 20% reduction in fuel production in Russia.
According to Terekh, Fire Point now operates at 83 plants in Ukraine and one in Denmark, employing 6,000 people, compared to 3,500 at the end of last year.
"What we are seeing now is the result of several years of effort by the Ukrainian side," said Ben Hodges, a former general who commanded the US Army in Europe. "They can not only accurately reach deep into Russia and overcome Russian air defense systems, but their weapons also carry a payload sufficient to achieve an effect."
Fire Point is also developing the first Ukrainian ballistic missiles, which Iryna Terekh hopes will be launched by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, a short-range variant of the FP-7 missile will form the basis of a separate initiative, Freyja – an international initiative aimed at creating a European air defense system for protection against ballistic threats. It is seen as an alternative to the American Patriot. In addition to Ukraine, nine other European countries have joined the initiative.
Fire Point emphasizes the capabilities of the Patriot system, but at the same time, global production of missiles for this system does not meet the current level of demand.
"The total global production of Pac-3 missiles is about 600-700 missiles per year. And that is exactly the number of Patriot missiles that were used in the Middle East in two weeks," she added.
The publication states that Freyja is planned to be tested by July next year.
"Ukraine, in a post-war economy, must be an exporter of high-value-added goods. We no longer want to be the breadbasket for the world," said Terekh. However, for now, the demands of war mean that Fire Point weapons are not exported.