Rheinmetall AG avowed its "utmost respect" for Ukrainians' defense efforts against Russia after the German company's chief executive appeared to belittle its use of drones.
Ukrainians are making an "immeasurable contribution" to their defense, especially since the country is fighting "highly effectively even with limited resources," the Dusseldorf-based company said in a statement on X on Sunday.
Germany's biggest defense contractor has faced a high-profile backlash in recent days after Chief Executive Officer Armin Papperger was quoted in a March 27 article in The AtlanticBloomberg Terminal in which he dismissed Ukraine's reliance on drones, saying: "This is how to play with Legos."
In the article, the CEO said that Ukrainian technology with small drones is not on a par with technology advancements from companies including Lockheed Martin Corp., General Dynamics Corp. and Rheinmetall. The biggest producer of drones in Ukraine are "housewives" who have "3-D printers in the kitchen," Papperger was cited as saying. "This is not innovation."
His comments have touched off a flurry of criticism from figures including Oleksandr Kamyshin, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. He took to X late on Saturday to push back against the nature of the remarks. "Rheinmetall says our #LEGODrones are #MadeByHousewives in their kitchens. Fine," he wrote. "Meanwhile our #LEGODrones already burned more than 11 thousands of russian tanks."
Kamyshin followed up on Sunday with a post saying Ukrainian women "deserve respect."
Meanwhile, Florian Seibel, the co-founder and co-CEO of German drone maker Quantum Systems, said on LinkedIn that he was "very sorry and embarrassed for the public statements made by a fellow German defense CEO." Quantum Systems "stands with all Ukrainian Housewives," he added, offering to give out military patches depicting Ukrainian women piloting drones.
Rheinmetall, in its own statement Sunday, said that the "innovative strength and the fighting spirit of the Ukrainian people are an inspiration to us." The company is grateful to offer its own resources to help the country, it added.
Rheinmetall didn't immediately respond to requests from Bloomberg News for further comment.
The company, which makes weaponry from ammunition to tanks, is among contractors that have seen sales surge in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine -- now in its fifth year -- and an urgency among European countries to rearm.
With plans to start construction on an ammunition and powder plant in Ukraine this year, it already operates a maintenance hubBloomberg Terminal for its Marder vehicles and Leopard tanks in the war-torn country.