Berlin: After this summer, a repair facility for Leopard 2 tanks and other German-made equipment that the West provided to Kiev for use in its conflict with Moscow will start operating there, according to Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger.

On Friday, Papperger told Der Spiegel magazine, "We want to start operations after the summer break." He added that Rheinmetall "is already training Ukrainians in Germany for this job."

The location of the facility in the nation is unknown, according to the businessman.

The proposed centre, according to the report, will shorten the distance that damaged tanks must be transported. At the moment, Leopard 2s can only be repaired outside of Ukraine.

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Der Spiegel did note that the project was linked to security issues, though.

In March, Rheinmetall first disclosed plans to spend $200 million on a manufacturing and repair facility in Ukraine. Since then, a number of Russian government representatives have warned Berlin not to move forward with the plan.

Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president who is currently the deputy chairman of the Security Council, posted on social media in March that "if [the] Krauts still go on with it for real, they're very welcome."

He continued, "Kalibrs and other Russian pyrotechnics should welcome the decision with fireworks."

According to some Russian media, the facility could be built close to the village of Chernotisov, which is close to Hungary's border with Ukraine.

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As stated earlier this month by a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, "such a plant, if it is built, will be a legitimate target for the Russian forces on par with any other object of the Ukrainian defence industry."

Before Ukraine's much-anticipated counteroffensive, which began in early June, Germany and other EU nations provided Kiev with dozens of Leopard 2 main battle tanks. These tanks have already been destroyed in large numbers. In a failed attempt to advance, Ukraine lost 15 Leopard 2s and other pieces of Western equipment in a single day, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday.

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In late June, Die Welt reported that Rheinmetall had been doing well despite the Ukrainian conflict. The Dusseldorf-based arms manufacturer reported that 2022 saw an 18% increase in orders over the prior year. The outlet claims that the business is currently preparing to significantly boost production while anticipating double-digit sales growth in the upcoming years.