Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova attends her weekly briefing in Moscow, Russia February 17 2023. (Sputnik)

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has described the decision of Rheinmetall, the German military company, to construct a tank factory in Ukraine as a "global provocation", RT reported.

Zakharova emphasized that if the factory is built, it would be considered a legitimate target for Russian forces on par with any other Ukrainian defense industry facility.

Rheinmetall's CEO, Armin Papperger, recently disclosed that the factory aims to train Ukrainian workers in the repair and maintenance of various armored vehicles produced by the company, including Marder infantry fighting vehicles, Leopard 2 tanks, and Panzerhaubitze 2000 artillery systems.

According to CNN, the project could potentially launch within the next 12 weeks.

Although Rheinmetall first announced its plans to invest $200 million in a Ukrainian factory in March, the exact location had not been disclosed. However, some Russian media outlets have suggested that the village of Chernotisov, which is populated by ethnic Hungarians, might be the chosen site.

Zakharova issued a stern warning, asserting that the establishment of the German arms manufacturer's plant in Ukraine would serve as "the latest proof of the militarization of Ukraine by the West." She further accused Ukraine and its Western backers of attempting to provoke Russia, a move that has been a subject of concern for Moscow.

Over the past year, and largely due to the conflict in Ukraine, Rheinmetall has recorded earnings of $7 billion, marking a 27% increase since 2021. Earlier this month, when the plans to construct the tank factory were announced, Rheinmetall CEO Papperger said the factory would be protected from Russian attacks.

"There are a lot of factories at the moment which are producing military goods [in Ukraine]. It is just another one — and we can protect that also," he said.

As of now, supplying more ammo is a more pressing necessity than producing more tanks, Papperger said.

Within the coming years, Rheinmetall expects to boost its annual production of artillery rounds from 100,000 to 600,000.

A large portion of that extra output would be earmarked for delivery to Ukraine, he added.

Estimates suggest that Rheinmetall could provide 60% of the artillery ammunition Ukraine needs, he noted.