Niemeyer said that the alleged possibility of a Russian strike on the plant is reasonable, since it produces weapons used against Russia. However, the German public would be shocked in such a case, the politician said, not ruling out that the plant could be used for provocations against Russia.
"This could be a provocation. Let’s call it that," Niemeyer said, adding that the purpose of such a provocation could be to discredit Russia’s leadership.
In October, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said the company was planning to build four ammunition and equipment plants in Ukraine, with the first one already being operational. He added, that the plant was performing maintenance services for Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicles and tanks at the moment, but he expected that by the end of the year, it would be possible to assemble Lynx infantry fighting vehicles at its facilities. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that the Rheinmetall plant would be a legitimate target for Russian troops.
Russia has repeatedly said that arms supplies to Ukraine hinder the conflict settlement and directly involve NATO countries in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine will be a legitimate target for Russia. He said that the US and NATO are directly involved in the conflict, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel on their territory. Senior Russian officials have said that Western weapon supplies to Ukraine do not contribute to the negotiations and will have a negative effect.