Negotiations on construction of tank plant, selection of finalists for the post of NABU director: highlights of the day

Negotiations on construction of tank plant in Ukraine

The German concern Rheinmetall wants to build a plant for the production of Panther tanks in Ukraine, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said in an interview with Rheinische Post. According to him, a tank plant in Ukraine can be built for about 200 million euros.

It could produce up to 400 Panther battle tanks per year. This is the concept of a new tank that Rheinmetall presented in the summer of 2022. It was developed on the basis of the Leopard 2 tank. Papperger said that the negotiations with the Ukrainian government are "full of hope". He expects a decision "within the next two months".

Selection of finalists for NABU director

The selection committee has selected three candidates for the position of director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Now the government has to appoint the head of the anti-graft agency. The candidates are:

• Serhiy Hupiak, head of the 4th Investigation Department of the State Bureau of Investigation's territorial office in Khmelnytskyi;
• Semen Kryvonos, head of the State Inspectorate of Architecture and Urban Development;
• Roman Osypchuk, Head of the Internal Control Department of the NABU.

The Anti-Corruption Action Center doubts whether some of the proposed candidates will be independent, given the organization's previous comments and their past jobs (political connections of one and work in the State Bureau of Investigation of the other, as well as comments on the integrity of both).

Ministry of Culture to tighten control over departure of artists

Stand-up comedian Andriy Shchehel said that he left Ukraine with a temporary permit from the Ministry of Culture, but decided to stay abroad. He is currently in Turkey.

"I realized that I was uncomfortable and I couldn't do it anymore, so I found a way to get out and live in a comfortable psychological environment," Shchehel said. He said that he received three draft notices in Ukraine, but he is not afraid of the military commissars.

The Ministry of Culture condemns the comedian's actions and announces increased responsibility for violating the rules for leaving and returning to Ukraine for men of military age. Law enforcement will take control of the situation with Shchehel.

Civilian deaths as a result of Russian strikes

On the afternoon of March 4, Russians shelled the village of Lvove in Kherson Oblast. As a result, a 57-year-old man was killed in his own home – he sustained a shrapnel wound to the chest.

In the morning, Russian troops shelled Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast several times. Two people were killed.

The death toll from a Russian missile strike on a residential building in Zaporizhzhya on March 2 increased to 11. On March 4, rescuers pulled from the rubble the body of an 8-month-old girl who died with her family.

Other news:

• 10 members of a group that robbed refugees from Ukraine in Alicante and Murcia were detained in Spain. A total of 1.2 million euros ($1.28 million) worth of goods were seized from the criminals. Seven Ukrainian citizens and three Russian citizens were detained;
• The United Kingdom will give Ukraine twice as many Challenger 2 tanks as it initially promised – 28, according to Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom Vadym Prystaiko;
• Ukrainians raised 1 million hryvnias ($27,000) in a day to buy three bionic prostheses for a special forces officer who was seriously wounded during a combat mission in the war. He lost both arms, a leg and an eye;
• Ukrainian military command is reinforcing the area of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, with elite units. Russian occupation forces are increasing pressure on the Defense Forces, British intelligence reports.