The German defense concern Rheinmetall AG is arranging a service hub in Romania near the border with Ukraine to maintain equipment supplied by western countries to Kyiv, a German television channel NTV reported.

"Rheinmetall is building a logistics center and maintenance center in NATO partner Romania," NTV quoted its source in the concern as saying.

The service hub, situated near Satu Mare on the Romania-Ukraine border, will be launched in April.

In particular, this facility, which should play a central role in ensuring the combat readiness of western weapons supplied to Ukraine, will be able to service Leopard 2 and Challenger tanks, self-propelled howitzers, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, and military trucks.

There are also plans to use the station to directly service NATO equipment.

"The central task for Rheinmetall in this critical situation is to maintain the military power of both NATO and Ukraine as much as possible," Executive Director of Rheinmetall AG Armin Papperger said.

Last June, Rheinmetall AG, together with the German engineering company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG, created a similar hub for NATO forces in the Baltic states in central Lithuania near the town of Rukla.