“We respect the efforts of Ukrainians”: Rheinmetall issues statement following scandal
30 March 05:17
The German defense conglomerate Rheinmetall has responded to the social media debate following CEO Armin Papperger’s March 27 interview with *The Atlantic*, in which he compared drone manufacturers in Ukraine to “housewives” and the production process to building with Lego, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
“These are Ukrainian housewives. They have 3D printers in their kitchens, and they produce parts for drones. This is not innovation,” said Papperger.
Papperger’s remarks sparked outrage on social media and led to the emergence of the hashtags #LEGODrones and #MadeByHousewives. The author of the article, journalist Simon Shuster, later posted a response from drone manufacturer Skyfall on his X account:
“If a drone made by Ukrainian ‘housewives’ is enough to destroy tanks and artillery, then it seems the era of ‘housewives’ has officially begun,” he quoted the drone manufacturers as saying.
Kamyshin: Housewives have destroyed over 11,000 Russian tanks
Meanwhile, on March 28, Oleksandr Kamyshin, an unofficial advisor to the President of Ukraine on strategic issues, noted on the social media platform X that #LEGODrones “have already destroyed over 11,000 Russian tanks.”
He later added that he had often seen women working alongside men at military factories.
“They are wonderful housewives, but they have to work hard at military factories. They deserve respect, Rheinmetall,” Kamyshin wrote.
Rheinmetall’s Response: Ukraine Is Fighting with High Efficiency
On Sunday afternoon, March 29, Rheinmetall’s official account on the social media platform X stated that the company “deeply respects” the Ukrainian people’s tremendous efforts to defend against the Russian attack:
“Every woman and every man is making an invaluable contribution. Ukraine deserves special credit for fighting with great efficiency even with limited resources. The innovative strength and fighting spirit of the Ukrainian people inspire us. We are grateful for the opportunity to provide support using the resources at our disposal,” the company’s post reads, tagging Oleksandr Kamyshin.
As a reminder, Papperger previously stated that Ukraine would not be able to sell its drones to NATO because it would not receive a license from the Alliance due to bureaucracy and resistance from Western regulators.
