German defense giant Rheinmetall moved to contain a growing backlash after its CEO dismissed Ukraine’s drone industry with a controversial “housewives” comparison.
In an interview with The Atlantic published Friday, CEO Armin Papperger downplayed Ukraine’s battlefield drone innovation, likening it to “playing with Legos” and claiming producers were akin to “housewives” using 3D printers in their kitchens.
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“This is not innovation,” he said.
The remarks triggered immediate outrage in Kyiv, where drones have become a cornerstone of Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Oleksandr Kamyshin, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky, pushed back publicly, highlighting the real-world impact of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian armor.
“Ukrainian women work equally with men in defense factories,” Kamyshin wrote on X. “They deserve respect.”
