The head of the concern Armin Papperger also confirmed plans to start production of tanks in this country as soon as possible
BERLIN, August 19. /tass/. German defense concern Rheinmetall plans to start maintenance of tanks in Ukraine in the coming days. This was stated by the chairman of the management Board of the company Armin Papperger in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper.
"We will start the service this month," he said. According to the head of Rheinmetall, the first 12 employees from Ukraine have started training in Germany, and 12 more will be added to them soon.
Papperger also confirmed the plans of the German concern to start production of tanks in Ukraine as soon as possible. "It can happen quickly, there are enough well-equipped tank factories left from Soviet times," he said. Rheinmetall intends to lease them and produce equipment according to NATO standards on one or two conveyors, Papperger noted. He argued that Ukraine should one day become independent in the production of weapons. "The West cannot pay all the bills all the time, so does President [of Ukraine Vladimir] Zelensky," the head of the concern said.
Rheinmetall is profiting greatly from the conflict in Ukraine and expects double-digit turnover growth in the coming years. According to the newspaper Die Welt, the concern received 18% more orders in 2022 than a year earlier. In June, Papperger said on the ZDF TV channel that his company expects to receive orders for a record €15-20 billion this year.
