“If every homemaker in Ukraine can truly produce drones, then every homemaker in Ukraine can be the CEO of Rheinmetall,” responded Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday.
Des “homemakers” – this is how the CEO of the German defense giant Rheinmetall referred to the main Ukrainian drone manufacturers during an interview with The Atlantic. In the interview published on Friday, Armin Papperger was asked about Ukraine’s development of drone technologies, widely seen as playing a crucial role in the country’s response to the Russian invasion. “It’s like playing with Legos,” he said, referring to drones, before likening the main Ukrainian drone manufacturers to “housewives.” “They have 3D printers in the kitchen and they produce parts for drones,” he said, adding that “this is not innovation.”
This Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the CEO’s remarks: “If every homemaker in Ukraine can truly produce drones, then every homemaker in Ukraine can be the CEO of Rheinmetall.”
“They deserve respect”
Other reactions quickly followed. Alexander Kamyshin, an advisor to the Ukrainian president, pointed out that in arms factories, Ukrainian women often work on an equal footing with men. “They deserve respect,” he added.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko spoke out on X on Sunday to highlight the “essential” contribution of Ukrainian women in sectors that were once considered male-dominated, especially in the military and defense industries. On social media, this controversy sparked the hashtag #MadeByHousewives, widely shared with humor by Ukrainians.
In response to the situation, Rheinmetall attempted to justify itself on Sunday through a post on its X account, stating: “We have the utmost respect for the immense efforts made by the Ukrainian people to defend themselves. Every woman and man in Ukraine contributes inestimably to this.”
