German Manufacturer of Leopard 2 Tanks Establishes Joint Venture in Ukraine

The German company KNDS Deutschland and a Ukrainian company have set up a joint venture in Ukraine to repair equipment provided by Germany. This was reported by the Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine.

‘A joint venture between KMW (KNDS Deutschland) and one of the Ukrainian defence companies has officially started operating in Ukraine. The newly created company will specialise in the maintenance and repair of military equipment provided by the German side for the Ukrainian Defence Forces,’ the official statement said.

The memorandum of cooperation was signed on 21 January.

KNDS Deutschland CEO Ralf Ketzel stressed that this is the formal start of the partnership, although practical work is already underway. More than 100 Ukrainian specialists have been trained in Germany. In addition, the company has already installed the first systems that have successfully passed inspection checks.

The first units of equipment from the German company were delivered to Ukraine in 2022.

Minister for Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin thanked the KNDS partners for their cooperation and said:  

‘This is extremely important for our defence capability, because now the repair of equipment will be faster. This means that it will return to the frontline more quickly to perform combat missions.’