Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger mocked Ukrainian drone production as playing with Lego blocks in an interview with The Atlantic, calling makers housewives. The remarks sparked outrage in Ukraine. Rheinmetall distanced itself on Sunday.
Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, disparaged Ukrainian drone production in a Friday interview with US magazine The Atlantic. He likened the technology to playing with Lego and said Ukrainian housewives work in factories using 3D printers in kitchens to make parts. "That is no innovation," Papperger stated, contrasting it with firms like Lockheed Martin or Rheinmetall.
Ukrainian responses were sharp. Drone maker Skyfall told The Atlantic: "If a drone built by Ukrainian 'housewives' is enough to take out tanks and artillery, then we're officially in the era of 'housewives'." Oleksandr Kamyschin, advisor to President Wolodymyr Selenskyj, posted on X that he had seen women working hard in over 200 factories. "Our #LEGODrones #MadeByHousewives in their kitchens already burned more than 11,000 Russian tanks."
Rheinmetall responded on Sunday via X: The company has "the utmost respect for the Ukrainian people’s immense efforts in defending themselves." Every woman and man makes an immeasurable contribution, crediting Ukraine for fighting highly effectively with limited resources.
