The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) said Russians were among the major backers during a recent fundraiser to purchase reconnaissance drones for the agency.
The donations largely came in during Russia’s presidential election on March 15-17 – in what was likely a way to voice discontent with the regime.
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The fundraiser, which was promoted on the FREEDOM television channel, aimed to collect Hr.25 million ($641,100) to purchase an unspecified number of “Sych” drones for the HUR, a long-range reconnaissance drone with a 200km range equipped with a high-definition camera.
According to a Telegram announcement by HUR, close to 3,000 people participated in the TV fundraising campaign by scanning the QR code – where 1,538 are Russians, including 200 from Moscow.
“It is symbolic that the peak of donations for drones for Ukrainian intelligence from citizens of the aggressor state coincided with the so-called ‘Putin elections.’ Instead of participating in the Kremlin farce, conscious Russians decided to vote with dollars and euros for the freedom of their country,” the announcement reads.
The HUR stated that Ukrainians living abroad, as well as citizens of Latvia, Germany, Poland, Moldova and other countries also donated.
Incumbent Russian President Vladimir Putin “won” the election by a landslide victory, though many have questioned the legitimacy of the election.
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If the HUR report is true, Russian participation in the Ukrainian fundraiser would be an ironic celebration of Putin’s victory. The numerous sabotage activities during the elections and the pro-Ukrainian insurgencies in Kursk and Belgorod regions also demonstrated a level of discontent with the Kremlin unseen before, making Putin’s alleged 88 percent exit poll all the more questionable.
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