Quirky fundraiser
Supporters can buy weapons for Ukraine in online store
From drinking bottles to magazines to heavy weapons, supporters of Ukraine can virtually “buy” equipment for the troops.
©Screenshot | zbraneproukrajinu.cz
The Ukrainian embassy in the Czech Republic is calling for donations for Ukraine with a bizarre campaign: supporters can buy virtual weapons for the troops in an online shop. However, these are not so easy to deliver.
Supporters of Ukraine’s war against Russia can now virtually donate weapons to the Ukrainian armed forces. Czech activists on Thursday unveiled an online shop where users can “buy” weapons such as rifles, grenades and even tanks. However, the armaments are not delivered to them; the money goes to the Ukrainian embassy in the Czech Republic instead.
Online store for weapons: troops in Ukraine benefit from “purchases”
The embassy opened a bank account in late February after the start of the Russian invasion to raise money for arms for the Ukrainian armed forces. So far, 1.1 billion crowns (44.7 million euros) have come together.
Since the supporters fear that interest in donations will wane, they set up the website. “Wars aren’t won with baby food, they’re won with guns, so donate if you want,” co-organizer Martin Ondracek told AFP. The amount donated so far is far from enough. “For example, if you look at the price of a warhead for the Javelin missile, you’ll see that it’s not that much,” Ondracek said.
To give buyers an idea of the cost of the war, the website zbraneproukrajinu.cz (“Weapons for Ukraine.cz”) lists the actual prices of weapons and equipment used in Ukraine. They range from a water disinfection kit for 160 kroner (6.50 euros) to a tank worth 30 million kroner (1.2 million euros).
Millions raised within a few days
The online store only opened on Wednesday but has already raised an additional 4.8 million kronor thanks to hundreds of donors. The website is only available in Czech so far, but an English version is expected to go online in the next few days, followed by French, German, Polish, Russian and Spanish versions.
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday launched a global crowdfunding platform to help Kyiv win the war with Russia and rebuild the country’s infrastructure.