German arms maker Rheinmetall is building a military maintenance and logistics center in Satu Mare that will begin operations this month to service weapons used during the war in Ukraine, the company announced on Sunday, Reuters reported.

Rheinmetall is building a service center for weapons used in Ukraine in RomaniaPhoto: Rupert Oberhuser / Alamy / Alamy / Profimedia

“The service should play a central role in supporting Western combat systems used in Ukraine and in ensuring the availability of logistical support,” said a company representative.

The center, located near the border with Ukraine, will service self-propelled howitzers, Leopard 2 and Challenger tanks, Marder BMPs, Fuchs armored personnel carriers and military trucks.

“For us at Rheinmetall, providing the best possible support to NATO and Ukrainian forces is a key concern,” Chief Executive Armin Papperger said in a statement.

In June 2022, Rheinmetall established a similar center in Lithuania to support NATO equipment in the Baltic states.

Rheinmetall also held talks with Ukrainian officials about the construction of a tank plant in Ukraine, The Kyiv Independent wrote in early March with reference to Der Spiegel.

This statement caused the anger of the vice-president of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev.

According to the head of the company, Armin Papperger, the plant could be opened in Ukraine for about 200 million euros and could annually produce up to 400 main battle tanks of the Panther type.

Papperger called the negotiations with the Ukrainian government “promising”, adding that he hopes for a decision “within the next two months”.

According to Papperger, quoted by AFP, Ukraine needs 600 to 800 tanks to defeat Russian forces, so it is necessary to quickly produce new tanks. “Even if Germany provided (Ukraine) 300 Leopard 2 tanks to the Bundeswehr, this would clearly not be enough.”

After a long delay, at the end of January, Chancellor Olaf Scholz gave the green light to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

In turn, Rheinmetall will be able to collect almost 250 tanks as part of military aid to Ukraine, many of which will go to the Czech Republic and Slovakia to replace the previous supply of Russian-made armored vehicles to Kyiv. Some will go to the Bundeswehr, others to Ukraine, Papperger said.