Russia threatens to bomb German Rheinmetall plant if it is built in Ukraine

Russia claimed that it considers the German defence concern Rheinmetall, which is planning to open a plant in Ukraine, a "military target".

Source: German media outlet BILD, referring to Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia

Quote: "This plant, if it is built, will become <…> a lawful target for the Armed Forces of Russia," Zakharova claimed.

Details: This is not the first time Russian officials have threatened the future enterprise. Earlier, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, wrote in his post on Telegram: "If krauts [krauts or "fritz", Russian derogatory term for Germans – ed.] finally decide to build (though they seem quite pragmatic), we are looking forward to it". He promised "the fireworks from Kalibr missiles".

Meanwhile, CEO of Rheinmetall Armin Papperger told the media that the concern is going to protect the plant with self-made air defence means.

Background: At the beginning of July, the German defence concern Rheinmetall announced that it would open an armoured vehicle plant, which is going to produce ammunition, tanks and other armoured equipment, in Ukraine within the next 12 weeks.

Preliminarily, the plant is set to produce 400 tanks a year. Papperger states that the main goal of the concern is to "support our Ukrainian partners in their fight for freedom and democracy and satisfy their crucial needs as soon as possible".

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