More cans for the can opener god:

>The Dusseldorf-based German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall this week announced that it has completed delivery of twenty more 20 Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to Ukraine.

>But its relationship with Kiev has gone much further, becoming among the very first major European arms companies to open a factory in Ukraine. This has provoked outrage among Kremlin officials, who are now warning that military action could be taken against the Rheinmetall plant.

>Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told reporters in a briefing that "A plant of Rheinmetall, a German arms manufacturer, launched in Ukraine, is a legitimate military target for the Russian Armed Forces."

>"Certainly it is," he emphasized in response to a question on whether the factory is now a target by being established inside Ukraine.

>Not only is the German company going to produce armored vehicles, and maintain and repair them from inside the war-ravaged country, but it is even seeking to develop a local gunpowder and munitions plan.

>TASS notes that Rheinmetall is NATO member Germany’s largest defense contractor. "It substantially profits from the Ukrainian conflict and anticipates further increased revenues. In 2023, its turnover went up by 12%, to 7.1 bln euros, with its net income growing by 9%, up to 0.6 bln euros," the report reviews.

Wouldn't want these new "production installations" to be foiled by Ukraine's inevitable wrapping:

>Rheinmetall has indicated it eventually plans to open no less than four military production installations inside Ukraine, with the ammo side expected to begin within the next two years.

>The company downplayed the Tuesday threat from Peskov, saying the "production of weapons in Ukraine is well protected and this is not the first time they have heard threats from the Kremlin." It plans to move forward despite the threats.

>Among Russia's key rationales for the February 2022 invasion was to 'demilitarize' Ukraine amid accusations that NATO is building up its military infrastructure inside the country which shares a large border with Russia. But now it appears the Western military alliance is rushing to do just that.

zerohedge.com/geopolitical/moscow-warns-german-arms-factory-ukraine-legitimate-target