Ukraine conflict: Rheinmetall to supply Lynx IFVs to Kyiv

Deliveries of the first five Lynx KF41 IFVs for Ukraine are planned to start at the beginning of 2026 under a contract signed with Rheinmetall in December 2025. (Rheinmetall)

A contract for Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for Ukraine was signed with Rheinmetall in December 2025, the German company announced in a press release on 12 January. Rheinmetall valued the the first five vehicles in the mid-double-digit million euro range, financed by the German government, with deliveries of the first systems planned for the beginning of 2026.

This follows extensive testing of the IFV, which Rheinmetall said features the two-person Lance turret and will be configured specifically for the Ukrainian armed forces. The next step is the procurement of additional batches, including production in Ukraine, according to Rheinmetall.

A Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson told Janes on 13 January, “Ukraine is interested in scaling up the production of weapons and military equipment, in particular within the framework of the Build in Ukraine and Build with Ukraine programmes.”

The spokesperson noted that an agreement on defence industrial co-operation signed by Ukrainian Minister of Defence Denys Shmyhal and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius during a ministerial meeting at NATO in Brussels on 15 October 2025 “creates the basis for expanding bilateral co-operation in the field of defence industry, technologies, and innovations. It will contribute to the development of joint industrial projects for the production in Ukraine of Lynx infantry fighting vehicles and ammunition, repair of Gepard [self-propelled] anti-aircraft guns, and Leopard tanks”.

The agreement aims to promote innovation in the defence industry; joint research and development, modernisation, and technical support of production; procurement and exchange of technical information, experience, and best practices; and joint participation in educational programmes and training.