“Ukrainian volunteer funds notice a significant decrease in donations to support the military, which indicates a gradual depletion of Ukrainians’ willingness to finance defense.”, — write: www.epravda.com.ua
Ukrainian volunteer funds notice a significant decrease in donations to support the military, which indicates a gradual depletion of Ukrainians’ willingness to finance defense.
This is reported by the Bloomberg agency.
In 2022, the charity fund of Ukrainian TV presenter Serhiy Prytula collected enough funds to buy a satellite for defense needs. However, this year the situation has changed: Ukrainians are saving more and more on donations, experiencing economic difficulties and war fatigue.
“In order to collect the same amount, we work three times more than in previous years,” says Prytula.
This reduction happened at the most inopportune time for Ukraine. With the worsening of the situation at the front, unpopular mobilization and constant power outages, the mood in society is becoming increasingly difficult. The fear that Trump may cut support or force Kyiv into an unwanted peace only adds to the anxiety, the agency notes.
Four private charitable organizations report a significant decrease in donations this year. Prytula says that donations have decreased by a fifth, and other organizations are experiencing an even worse situation – some have even experienced a tenfold decrease in contributions.
These funds cover only part of the army’s needs. For example, the Prytula fund collected 1.4 billion hryvnias this year, while the country’s total military budget exceeds 50 billion dollars. However, donations remain an important resource that complements state funding. With their help, volunteers quickly buy the necessary things – from clothes to reconnaissance drones.
The largest charitable organization “Return Alive” recorded a 15% decrease in contributions.
More than half of Ukrainians said they continued to contribute to the military, but more than a third admitted they had reduced their donations compared to last year, according to a survey conducted in August by the Ilko Kucheriv Foundation and the Razumkov Center.
Another non-governmental organization, Reactive Post, told Bloomberg that its donations were down more than 40% this year compared to the same period in 2023. Most of the donors today are those who have already supported the fund before, noted the founder of the charitable fund, Pavlo Narozhny.
Army SOS, which collects funds for software for military units, reported a tenfold decrease in donations compared to last year, said volunteer Hanna Morozova.