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​Deputy Defense Ministers of Ukraine Met with Rheinmetall’s CEO to Expand Local Production

The Marder vehicle / Photo credit: The 25th Airborne Brigade
The Marder vehicle / Photo credit: The 25th Airborne Brigade

Localization, repair capacity, and specialist training dominate agenda during key defense industry talks

Deputy Ministers of Defense of Ukraine, Valerii Churkin and Serhii Boiev, held a meeting with a delegation from Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH, led by CEO Dr. Björn Bernhard. The company is one of the first Western arms manufacturers to localize production in Ukraine.

The discussion focused on strengthening the Armed Forces of Ukraine through joint defense projects. In particular, both sides emphasized the importance of expanding the work of Ukrainian-German enterprises engaged in repairing and maintaining Western military equipment already in use by Ukraine. They also discussed training programs for Ukrainian technical specialists to enhance domestic capacity for servicing military hardware.

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Illustrative image Defense Express Deputy Defense Ministers of Ukraine Met with Rheinmetall’s CEO to Expand Local Production
Illustrative image / Photo credit: Rheinmetall

“Ukraine is interested in expanding cooperation with allies in the defense industry sector. New technologies and production capabilities are critically important for Ukraine in light of today’s threats,” Valerii Churkin stated. He underscored that localizing modern arms production and adopting advanced defense technologies are key priorities for reinforcing Ukraine’s national defense.

The meeting concluded with an exchange of views on further avenues for deepening defense cooperation between Ukraine and Germany.

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