The company is a Lithuania-based joint venture owned by Rheinmetall and KNDS Deutschland that specialises in maintaining and repairing NATO military equipment. Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence and Armed Forces have provided logistical support for the project.
“It is very important to us that the tanks return to the battlefield as quickly as possible, because despite the era of drones, this armored equipment remains particularly important and necessary when retaking occupied territories in operations involving those same drones,” said Olha Nikitchenko, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Lithuania. “We thank the LDS team, the Federal Republic of Germany for funding the project, and the Ministry of National Defense along with the Lithuanian Armed Forces for their logistical support.”
“We support Ukraine’s defensive fight for independence and its survival as a nation,” said Dr. Cornelius Zimmermann, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Lithuania. “With its brutal attack on Ukraine and its recent threats against EU and NATO, Russia has become a fundamental strategic threat for European freedom and security.”
“For this reason, Germany has become the largest bilateral supporter of Ukraine in Europe and with it, we are fully funding this LDS project and the refurbishment of Ukrainian tanks,” Zimmermann said. The funding allows LDS to restore damaged heavy equipment in Lithuania before it is returned to Ukrainian service.
LDS also plans to expand its services for the Lithuanian Armed Forces, NATO units stationed in the country and Ukraine. The company has signed memoranda of understanding with Israel’s Rafael and engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, while Lithuania is expected to become a shareholder.
“We will soon be able to offer a broader range of services to both the Lithuanian Armed Forces and NATO forces in Lithuania, as well as to Ukraine, if needed,” said Sebastian Dietz, chief executive of Lithuania Defense Services. “We have signed MoU with the Israeli company Rafael and the engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, so we expect that our company, with the Republic of Lithuania becoming a shareholder, will be able to contribute significantly to deterrence and defense by maintaining, repairing, or restoring heavy military equipment.”
