A joint venture between KMW (KNDS Deutschland) and a Ukrainian defence company has officially opened in Ukraine. The newly established company will specialise in the maintenance and repair of military equipment supplied by the German company to the Ukrainian Defence Forces. The first samples of this equipment appeared in Ukraine in 2022. The relevant Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 21 January.

According to KNDS Deutschland CEO Ralf Ketzel, this is the official start of cooperation - practical work has already begun. In particular, more than a hundred Ukrainian specialists have been trained in Germany. The training was attended by major European politicians, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Also, the first systems have been installed at the facilities and they have passed the necessary inspections.

"I am happy to be here with our partner, a Ukrainian company. Our cooperation is a great platform for working together, for seeing the level of expertise of your team, for feeling the spirit of your team and your ambitions. I would like to thank you for that. And I would also like to wish all the best to the Ukrainian Army, to all Ukrainian soldiers. And I would like to express my wish that we support them as best we can, maybe even a little bit more, because they need it. This is our duty. Thank you very much," said Ralf Ketzel.

"First of all, I thank our partners for their willingness to cooperate with the Ukrainian defence industry. This is very important. This is extremely important for our defence capability, as now the equipment will be repaired faster. This means that it will be returned to the frontline to perform combat missions faster. The joint venture will also significantly support our economy with investments and jobs.

We are building the Arsenal of the Free World in Ukraine. And we are glad that KMW (KNDS Deutschland) has joined us. Together we will manage to do much more," said Minister of Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin.