The German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall took over the Oerlikon weapons factory in Switzerland in 1999. The Rheinmetall Air Defence division is still based in Zurich.
Some of the armaments it produces are manufactured at a factory near to Rome.
It now appears that some of these weapons have been shipped to Ukraine. A Rheinmetall spokesperson told the SonntagZeitung that parts of the Skynex system are made in Italy, but would not confirm if they have been delivered to Ukraine.
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Swiss ‘could lose military contracts’ over re-export restrictions
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Switzerland’s stance on the re-export of arms to Ukraine makes it a less reliable supplier of military hardware to European partners.
However, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Schmihal stated over the Telegram social media this week that the anti-aircraft system had reached the war-torn country. “Such batteries are already in combat use in Ukraine,” he wrote.
Previous attempts to export Italy-produced Oerlikon weapons to countries like Thailand and Egypt were turned down by the Swiss authorities.
But Rheinmetall has apparently found a way around the restrictions.
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco), the department responsible for monitoring weapons exports, told the newspaper that an article of the War Materiel Act allowed the transfer of ‘know-how’ from Switzerland to some other countries, including Italy.
“The transfer of know-how from Switzerland to Italy can therefore take place without a permit,” said a Seco spokesperson.
Swiss court ruling: only mothers have legal say in abortion cases
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Switzerland’s highest court has ruled against the father of an aborted child, who had sued his ex-partner for terminating pregnancy at an advanced stage.
Shooter and mountain-biker to carry Swiss flag at Olympics opening
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Sports shooter Nina Christen and mountain-biker Nino Schurter will be the Swiss delegation’s flag-bearers at the opening ceremony of the Paris Game on Friday.
UBS questioned by US Senator over $350 million tax evasion case
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UBS has been asked by a powerful US lawmaker about whether Credit Suisse failed to report an American accused of evading taxes on $350 million in income.
Half of Swiss back fireworks as part of national day celebrations
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A survey shows that while half the population says fireworks are an important part of August 1 festivities, a majority are against them being set off by private individuals.
Switzerland’s drug approval process lags behind Europe
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According to a recent study, medicines are approved on average 249 days later in Switzerland than by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Non-believers significantly underrepresented in Swiss parliament
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While non-believers make up the largest group in the Swiss population at around 34%, they rank only third in Parliament with just 23%.
Swiss NGO offices in Ukraine hit by Russian strike
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On Wednesday morning, the offices of the "Fondation suisse de déminage" (FSD) were struck by a Russian missile in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine.
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A group of climate protesters blocked the road to Zurich Airport on Wednesday morning. The police quickly cleared the demonstration.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
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Ukrainian President Zelensky to address Swiss parliament
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address Switzerland’s parliament by videoconference during its summer session.
Swiss ‘could lose military contracts’ over re-export restrictions
This content was published on
Switzerland's stance on the re-export of arms to Ukraine makes it a less reliable supplier of military hardware to European partners.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.