Alexander Kamyshin, an advisor to the President of Ukraine on strategy, commented on the statement made by Armin Papperger, the CEO of the German defense company Rheinmetall, regarding the Ukrainian drone industry.
This is reported by Finway
Response from the Ukrainian Side to Papperger’s Words
Papperger previously compared drone production in Ukraine to the activities of “Ukrainian housewives,” who supposedly manufacture components using 3D printers at home. In his post on X, Alexander Kamyshin noted that he visits over 200 defense industry enterprises annually and has repeatedly observed Ukrainian women working alongside men in production. He emphasized that Ukrainian women, in addition to their domestic responsibilities, perform hard work in military factories and deserve respect.
“I often see Ukrainian women working alongside men. They are wonderful housewives, but they have to work hard in military factories. They deserve respect, Rheinmetall.”
Rheinmetall’s Statement and Interview Details
On the same day, Rheinmetall released an official statement emphasizing their “highest respect” for the efforts of Ukrainians in the fight against Russian aggression. The statement highlighted that every woman and man in Ukraine makes an invaluable contribution to the defense of the country, and their ability to work effectively even with limited resources serves as an example for others. The company’s press service added that the innovation and fighting spirit of the Ukrainian people are inspiring, and Rheinmetall is grateful for the opportunity to support Ukraine with accessible resources.
On March 27, The Atlantic published an interview with Papperger in which he expressed skepticism about the innovativeness of Ukrainian drones, describing their production as a “Lego game” and questioning the revolutionary impact of drones on the defense industry. According to Papperger, he compared the production capabilities of Ukrainian companies Fire Point and Skyfall to housewives who have 3D printers in their kitchens and produce components for drones, considering this insufficiently innovative.
At the beginning of March, President Zelensky announced that Ukraine would assist Middle Eastern countries in defending against Iranian attacks, particularly drone strikes occurring after the start of the U.S.-Israeli military operation at the end of February. Ukrainian experts are already on the ground to provide such assistance.