German cartel office clears Rheinmetall, Ukrainian defence firm JV in Kyiv

Details of a demining tank Keiler are seen outside the Rheinmetall production plant of military equipment for the Bundeswehr, police and Ukraine, in Kassel, Germany, July 25, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's cartel office on Thursday cleared the formation of a joint venture between German defence contractor Rheinmetall and the state-owned Ukrainian Defense Industry (UDI).

The joint venture is to be based in Kyiv and will work on service and maintenance for military vehicles there, so it poses no competitive overlaps in Germany, the cartel office said.