Fire Point CEO Iryna Terekh warns that a missile defense program that usually takes decades is being compressed into just a few years, as Kyiv relies on Western aid and Patriot systems.
Ukrainian officials, defense industry leaders, and security experts are warning that the upcoming winter could be the country's toughest test since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. There are fears that Russian missile strikes on energy infrastructure will pose the greatest challenge yet, with key figures urging Western allies to provide urgent assistance.
Iryna Terekh, CEO of Ukrainian drone manufacturer Fire Point, told CNBC: "Winter is coming, and last winter was very hard for Ukraine and for the big cities in general. This one won't be any easier-it's likely to be even harder."
Terekh highlighted the immense pressure on the domestic defense industry as it tries to develop its own missile defense technology. "We're trying to compress a program that normally takes 20 to 30 years into just a few years, and that's not something you can do in just three months before winter," she said.
Ukraine remains heavily dependent on the U.S.-made Patriot system to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. In recent weeks, Russian forces have intensified missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, likely in an attempt to exploit the shortage of ballistic missile interceptors in Ukraine's arsenal.
In a phone interview with the Financial Times on July 30, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had not yet made a decision on whether to allow Ukraine to produce interceptors for the Patriot system. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, citing the alleged use of a North Korean missile in a deadly strike on the village of Radushne, said on social media: "I hope that all our partners, first and foremost the Americans, as well as our friends in Europe, will feel that real human lives depend on whether they help us."
Since April, Zelenskyy has emphasized the importance of full operational readiness and protection of energy facilities. Kyiv is bolstering infrastructure defenses, building up reserves, and seeking additional assistance from European allies, particularly from the EU's €90 billion financial support package, while also pushing for a special winter aid package.
Serhiy Kuzan, head of the Kyiv-based think tank Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation, believes the recent cabinet changes are directly linked to preparations for the cold weather. "In fact, the government has been reshuffled and revitalized to reset institutional processes and improve coordination among different ministries. As President Zelenskyy noted, the main task of the renewed cabinet is to ensure that energy and security infrastructure is fully prepared for the cold," Kuzan told CNBC.
Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO and a member of the advisory board of Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK, believes Russian President Putin will again try to use winter to break Ukraine by cutting off power and heating, but notes that Kyiv is in a better position than last year.
"Putin is on a long road to defeat. He can't keep up with the losses on the battlefield. Ukraine is destroying refining and export capacities, which is draining the Kremlin's budget. Putin will fight as long as he can without endangering the Russian state, but his ability to continue is becoming increasingly limited. I think he will continue through the winter, believing it serves Russia's interests, but by spring he will start facing hard limits to his war of aggression and will be forced to agree to a ceasefire," Volker said.
Iryna Terekh concluded that Ukraine still depends on the support of Western allies, but also on its own strength. "The world likes to help winners, not out of pity, because pity lasts very briefly. As cynical as it sounds, we are no longer victims in the psychological sense, but we still need support and cannot fight alone," she said.
