07/02/2024 | Press release

The Düsseldorf-based technology group Rheinmetall is supporting the Olena Zelenska Foundation in Kyiv with a donation of 100,000 euros. The founder of the foundation, Olena Zelenska, wife of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, received a corresponding pledge at a meeting in Berlin. The foundation has been active since the beginning of the large-scale Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Together with foreign supporters, it helps affected people to cope with the consequences of the war. The charitable initiative supports projects in the areas of education, healthcare and humanitarian aid.

In the words of Olena Zelenksa, "I am delighted that Rheinmetall AG is now one of the foundation's reliable partners. This industrial giant is a symbol of outstanding German quality. I am convinced that our humanitarian initiatives will be strengthened thanks to such a solid partnership. Together we will certainly rebuild our country and make Ukraine stronger."

As Armin Papperger, chairman of the executive board of Rheinmetall AG, makes clear, “Russia’s war of aggression has destroyed countless homes, schools and hospitals in Ukraine. Besides the defence of the country, which we as a company are doing our utmost to support, we’ve got to make sure that the people who live there can get on with their lives. Children need to go to school, the sick need to be treated, families have to be fed. In making this donation, we at Rheinmetall are helping here, too. We stand with Ukraine!”

Regarding the military defence of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, Rheinmetall has emerged as the nation’s most important private-sector supplier of defence technology, furnishing an extensive array of products and services. In October 2023, for example, Rheinmetall established a joint venture company in Kyiv with Ukraine’s state-owned Ukrainian Defense Industry JSC, the former Ukroboronprom: Rheinmetall Ukrainian Defense Industry LLC.

In a first step, the new joint venture is servicing and repairing tactical vehicles, with plans to produce armoured vehicles in Ukraine at a later date, including the Fuchs/Fox wheeled armoured transport vehicle, the Lynx infantry fighting vehicle and the Panther main battle tank. Furthermore, Rheinmetall is a vital strategic partner of Ukraine, supplying the embattled country with ammunition, combat vehicles, air defence systems, military trucks and mobile field hospitals.