The defense company Rheinmetall, the largest contractor in Germany, plans to start producing 155mm artillery shells at a new plant in Ukraine in 2026. Initially, it was expected to produce 150,000 shells per year, but the company has already announced its intention to double this volume to 300,000 annually after completing the ramp-up of production capacity. This is expected to take between one to two years.
This is reported by Finway
Production Plans and Challenges for the Company
Rheinmetall’s CEO Armin Papperger emphasized that the initiative to establish production in Ukraine originated from the Ukrainian side. The goal is to reduce the country’s dependence on imported ammunition. At the same time, he highlighted the limitations of Ukraine’s financial capabilities, which prevent increasing production beyond the planned 300,000 shells per year.
“The construction of the plant in the German city of Unterlüß and in Ukraine began almost simultaneously, but the facility in Germany is already completed, while the one in Ukraine is still under construction.”
Cooperation Between Ukraine and Germany
Recently, representatives from Ukraine and the Federal Republic of Germany discussed issues related to the supply of ammunition, missiles for missile defense systems, long-range weapons, and Patriot air defense systems. Additionally, the parties considered the prospects for joint production of weapons on Ukrainian territory. Such cooperation aims to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities and ensure stable supplies of necessary resources for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.