The German concern Rheinmetall handed over 20 additional Marder infantry fighting vehicles to the Ukrainian Defense Forces for protection against Russian aggression. Delivery was completed at the end of September 2024.
This was reported by the companyʼs press service.
The total number of IFVs delivered to Kyiv directly or within the Ringtausch reaches 200, it is about the Marder 1A3. They are equipped with additional laser rangefinders for accurate shots. The concern organized the first delivery of these IFVs on behalf of Berlin in March 2023.
The Marder is one of the most reliable weapon systems of its kind in the world. It was developed for the Bundeswehr and has been repeatedly modernized over the decades. Rheinmetall began receiving and upgrading the Marder 1A3 from German Armed Forces warehouses in the spring of 2022, initially at its own expense.
The latest order for the supply of 20 combat vehicles to Ukraine, which was financed by the German government, is estimated at millions of euros. The volume of orders was booked as early as March 2024.
- Rheinmetall is one of the largest manufacturers of military equipment and weapons in Germany and Europe. The company plans to open the production of armored vehicles in Ukraine, including tanks, ammunition and air defense. According to Agence France Press, Rheinmetall wants to build at least four factories in Ukraine.
- "Ukroboronprom" and Rheinmetall have already created a joint venture for maintenance and repair of Western equipment transferred to Kyiv. It is expected that the first factories will create Fuchs armored personnel carriers and Lynx IFVs.
- In July 2024, the concern officially received an order from the Ukrainian government for the construction of an ammunition plant. They plan to produce, in particular, artillery shells of 155 mm caliber there.
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Author: Anastasiia Mohylevets