German defense company has since issued a statement expressing its respect for Ukrainian defense equipment manufacturers, after CEO Armin Papperger devalued the Ukrainian drone industry
Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger compared Ukrainian innovation in drones to “playing with Legos”, also stating that its creators were like “housewives” using 3D printers in the kitchens.
“This is not innovation,” added the executive director of Rheinmetall, in an interview published on Friday in the North American magazine The Atlantic.
The statements sparked immediate outrage in Ukraine, where drones are currently a central element of the country’s defense against Russian invasion.
The Ukrainian newspaper Kyiv Post says that President Volodymyr Zelensky responded harshly to the statements made by the CEO of the German company.
“If every Ukrainian housewife can actually produce drones, then every Ukrainian housewife can be CEO of Rheinmetall,” Zelensky told reporters on Monday.
“We demonstrate the results of these technologies every day – on the battlefield, on land, in the air and at sea,” added the Ukrainian president.
Before Zelenksy’s statements, his advisor, Oleksandr Kamyshin, had already responded to the controversial statements, highlighting the impact of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian armored vehicles.
“Ukrainian women work on equal terms with men in defense factories,” wrote Kamyshin on the social network X. “They deserve respect.”
I visit 200+ military factories a year. I see Ukrainian women working equally with men often enough.
They are great housewives, yet they have to work hard in the military factories.
They deserve respect, .
— Alexander Kamyshin (@AKamyshin)
The reaction quickly spread to Ukrainian social media, giving rise to the hashtag #MadeByHousewives and a wave of publications with images highlighting the effectiveness of drones and air defense systems produced in the country.
Well, not exactly a Ukrainian “housewife,” but a Ukrainian ??🇺🇦
— Alyona Getmanchuk (@getmalyona)
In light of the controversy, Rheinmetall published a message on the social network X on Sunday, in which it sought to alleviate the controversy.
“We have the greatest respect for the immense efforts of the Ukrainian people in their defense. Every woman and man in Ukraine is making an immeasurable contribution,” the company wrote.
We have the utmost respect for the Ukrainian people’s immense efforts in defending themselves against the Russian attack – now for more than four years. Every single woman and man in 🇺🇦 is making an immeasurable contribution. It is to Ukraine’s particular credit that it is…
— Rheinmetall (@RheinmetallAG)
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko reinforced the criticism, stating that Ukrainians “deserve not only respect, but also to be heard”.
“Yes, the defense of Europe is driven by Ukrainian ‘housewives’,” he added, also using the hashtag #MadeByHousewives.
The same Ukrainian newspaper says the controversy comes at a time when Rheinmetall, one of Europe’s largest arms manufacturers, continues to benefit from increased Ukrainian defense spending in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion.
At the same time, Ukraine has been projecting abroad its accumulated experience with combat-tested drones, seeking to establish itself as a reference in this sector. In recent weeks, Kiev agreed to deepen defense cooperation with countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
