Germany will not be able to meet Ukraine's shell needs on its own - Rheinmetall CEO

The head of the German defense concern Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, shared the information in an interview with Bild.

According to him, Germany will need "10 to 15 years" to replenish its own reserves.

“In general, we want to produce up to 700,000 artillery shells a year by 2025," Papperger said.

He also called on the German government to take a realistic approach to equipping the Bundeswehr with armed drones.

"A new type of war is being waged in Ukraine with the use of drones, and there is still a debate about whether to equip drones," the CEO added.

• On December 2, Rheinmetall reported its plans to launch a plant in Ukraine in 2024, with the production of the first weapons scheduled to commence six months after.
• On December 18, the concern received an order to supply tens of thousands of different types of shells for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, scheduled for delivery in 2025. Previously, Rheinmetall had announced its ability to produce up to 600,000 shells annually for Ukraine to aid in its defense against Russia.
• On February 1, it was reported that Rheinmetall had acquired a plant in Romania to assist Ukraine in maintaining Western equipment.
• On February 6, Rheinmetall announced plans to supply ammunition and equipment to Ukraine.
• On February 10, construction commenced on a new Rheinmetall plant in Germany that will increase the country's capacity to produce artillery shells. During the groundbreaking ceremony, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a transition to large-scale production of defense equipment to enable Europe to successfully deter aggressors.