Ukraine’s Serhiy Prytula Foundation Starts Campaign To Donate 3 Bayraktar TB2s To The Ukrainian Army

Numerous nations and the general public around the world are still supporting Ukraine in the conflict that began with Russia’s invasion of the country. The Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation started a similar campaign after the Lithuanian people organized a fundraising effort to purchase a Bayraktar TB2 to send to Ukraine. Serhiy Prytula, a TV presenter, actor, author and co-producer, politician and army volunteer from Ukraine, announced on June 22 that he has launched a new fundraising effort to provide three Bayraktar TB2 drones to the Ukrainian Air Force (UAF).

In a relatively short period of time, the campaign’s support, which aims to raise a total of $15 million, has rapidly swelled. According to Serhiy Prytula, more than $5 million in donations were received in the first 12 hours, and 10.4 million of the campaign’s goal of $15 million were collected in the first 24 hours. “Let’s add that we have allotted funds for the project, we have a total of 366 million hryvnia,” the organizer, who posted updates on the development on his Facebook page, added. “That means we’ve collected two of the three requested “Bayraktars”! Two a day! Guys, you are doing a great thing and writing a story!”

The campaign, which boasts to be the biggest donation campaign ever for the Ukrainian Army, aims to raise all the money within a week. The campaign’s objective is to raise all the funds within a week. It has been described as the largest contribution drive ever for the Ukrainian Army. The campaign, though, appears to be going more quickly than anticipated, much like the earlier campaign in Lithuania, based on the progress. Fundraising details of the campaign, which everyone can participate in, are listed on the foundation’s website.

Since the war began, a lot of non-governmental organizations have been raising money for humanitarian relief for the Ukrainian people, but fundraising for weapons has not been commonplace since World War Two. In this regard, the donation campaign that the people of Lithuania organized to buy a Bayraktar TB2 and send it to Ukraine was a first and paved the way for future campaigns. As you may be aware, the campaign was supported by a wide range of groups, including musicians, influencers, and businesspeople. It was started by Lithuanian television station Laisves TV with backing from the Ministry of Defense of Lithuania. In just three days, the $5 million needed for a Bayraktar purchase was raised in this manner. In this case, Baykar Teknoloji asked for this money to be sent to Ukraine as humanitarian aid and provided Lithuania with a free “Bayraktar TB2.” In response to Baykar’s gesture, the deputy defense minister of Lithuania, Vilius Semeska, declared that 4.4 million euros would be sent to Ukraine for humanitarian aid and 1.5 million euros would be used by the Ministry of Defense to arm the drone.

Lithuanian Deputy Minister of Defense Vilius Semaška (centre), Baykar Chief Technology Officer Selçuk Bayraktar (right) and Chief Executive Officer Haluk Bayraktar (left) at Baykar’s Istanbul facility (Baykar)

These fundraising campaigns demonstrate how individuals from all over the world can swiftly acquire expensive weapons systems from a third country for their own or another nation’s armed forces by making tens of thousands of small donations (with the permission of the defense ministry of the country where the campaign is organized). The success of these campaigns opens the door to more in the days to come.