Rheinmetall AG CEO Armin Papperger said that a peace agreement in Ukraine will not change future demand for weapons, as Europe enters a prolonged period of rearmament. The company expects European and German defense spending to grow, aiming for 50 billion euros in sales by 2030.
The defense concern Rheinmetall and the Finnish company ICEYE are establishing Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions GmbH. The goal is to strengthen European capabilities in space reconnaissance and SAR satellite production.
Germany plans to purchase up to 12,000 kamikaze drones from startups Helsing, Stark, and defense giant Rheinmetall for approximately 300 million euros. These drones are intended for the German brigade in Lithuania, which will defend NATO's eastern flank against Russia.
From October 12, the EU is gradually implementing the biometric registration system EES, which will replace passport stamps. Ukrainians with temporary protection or a residence permit are not subject to registration, but for others, border crossing times may increase.
On September 22, the railway line between Cologne and Düsseldorf was damaged due to the deliberate cutting of underground cables. The police are investigating the incident as sabotage, not ruling out political motives.
The Ukrainian volleyball team is currently third in their group at the 2025 World Championship with three points. To advance to the playoffs, the Ukrainians need to defeat the reigning world champions, the Italian national team.
German scientists have discovered that ocean acidification makes shark teeth brittle, threatening their ability to hunt. This could have a significant impact on the marine ecosystem.
Ukraine's women's beach volleyball team, Maryna Hladun and Tetiana Lazarenko, won historic gold at the European Championship in Düsseldorf. The Ukrainians defeated the French duo Clemence Vieira and Aline Chamereau with a score of 2:1.
In Germany, the third arson attack on cables on a railway line near Hohenmölsen, Saxony-Anhalt, has been recorded. This led to train disruptions, particularly in North Rhine-Westphalia, where hundreds of services were canceled.
Warner Bros. announced a large-scale celebration of the 20th anniversary of the film "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" in 2025, which will include a re-release in cinemas, fan meetings, and exclusive merchandise. Events will take place in Europe, Asia, and North America, and new 3D Bitmoji lenses for Snapchat will also be launched.
In Düsseldorf, fireworks exploded at a low altitude at a fair, injuring at least 19 people, including a child. The organizers prematurely ended the celebration, and the police are investigating the causes of the incident.
In Dorsten, Germany, the bodies of two Ukrainian citizens were found: a mother born in 1992 and her daughter born in 2023. A Ukrainian citizen born in 2009 has been detained and confessed to the crime; the case is under special control of Ukrainian diplomats.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has signed a contract with Rheinmetall for the supply of 155-mm artillery shell charging modules. The delivery of tens of thousands of charges is scheduled for January 2025.
Ukrainian cities are actively establishing partnerships with foreign municipalities. This allows them to receive humanitarian aid, implement energy efficiency projects, and prepare for post-war reconstruction.
The trial of four teenagers accused of killing two Ukrainian basketball players in Oberhausen has begun in Essen. Prosecutors believe the attack was motivated by xenophobia.
The German Defense Ministry plans to order up to 2. 35 million artillery shells worth up to 15 billion euros from Diehl Defense and Nammo Raufoss, some of which are intended for Ukraine and NATO partners.
The national team of Ukraine will play its second match of the Euro 2024 group stage against Slovakia in Dusseldorf, Germany, today, June 21. The application of the Ukrainian national team for the game has been announced.
A former German army officer has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for spying for Russian intelligence services by passing classified military information.
A 43-year-old assistant to an AfD MEP was detained in Dresden on suspicion of spying for Chinese intelligence by passing on information about negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament.
Three suspects were arrested in Germany for spying for China, allegedly passing information on military technology to the Chinese intelligence service.
Rheinmetall, Germany's largest defense company, plans to increase its production of artillery ammunition to 700,000 shells per year by expanding its production capacity in Germany and building new plants in Ukraine and Lithuania.
Ukrainian basketball player Artem Kozachenko, who was seriously injured in an armed attack in Germany that killed his teammate, has died in hospital from his injuries.
A 15-year-old Ukrainian boy suffered severe head injuries after being beaten in a xenophobic attack in Germany, and the Consulate General in Düsseldorf is providing consular assistance to the victim.
A 15-year-old Ukrainian teenager suffered severe head injuries after he was attacked and hit in the head with an unknown object by someone who insulted him because of his nationality at a facility in the German city of Mettmann near Düsseldorf.
A 15-year-old German-Turkish schoolboy from Gelsenkirchen was the prime suspect in the stabbing of two Ukrainian basketball players, one of whom died, at a train station in Oberhausen, Germany, according to video evidence and reports.
German police have detained the attacker who killed 17-year-old basketball player Volodymyr Yermakov. He attacked the boy and his friend because they were Ukrainians.
A 17-year-old Ukrainian basketball player was fatally stabbed because of his Ukrainian nationality.
On Wednesday, German ground staff at five major airports will go on strike, disrupting flights.
More than 1,100 flights will be canceled at 11 German airports on February 1 due to a strike by airport workers.
The German climate activist group The Last Generation has announced that they will no longer be sticking themselves to the roadway on highways. Instead, starting in March, they will be organizing large "disobedience gatherings" and protesting at fossil fuel extraction sites. They aim to confront politicians and decision-makers responsible for climate destruction more directly.
