Military donations in Ukraine plummet as war pressure mounts, Bloomberg reports

Military donations in Ukraine have fallen sharply amid rising financial pressures and war weariness, with major charities reporting drops by 20% or more in 2024, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 13.

Prominent organizations such as Come Back Alive and the Serhiy Prytula Foundation, headed by the well-known Ukrainian TV personality of the same name, have seen contributions decrease by approximately one-fifth in 2024, Bloomberg reports.

Other groups supporting the Armed Forces report even steeper declines.

While these charities provide essential support, they cover only a fraction of Ukraine’s total military needs. In 2024, Prytula’s foundation raised Hr 1.4 billion ($34 million), a figure that pales in comparison to Ukraine’s $50 billion military budget.

Come Back Alive, one of Ukraine's largest charitable foundations, reported a 15% drop in donations in the same year, based on its reports on the receipt of donations.

Meanwhile, Reactive Post, another non-governmental organization, told Bloomberg that its contributions have decreased by over 40% this year compared to the same period in 2023.

Prytula cited economic challenges and the hardships brought on by power outages as likely reasons for the downturn.

In an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, Taras Chmut, the head of Come Back Alive, expressed concern over 2024’s fundraising efforts, saying they "have not started as well as we would like."

Chmut explained that as more Ukrainians leave the country, incomes decline, and living costs rise, donations are inevitably impacted.

Oleh Karpenko, the head of partnerships at Come Back Alive, told the BBC that donation patterns vary based on events such as shelling in Ukraine, drone strikes in Russia, power outages, battlefield developments, and military successes or setbacks.

On Oct. 25, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a new eSupport initiative scheduled to launch on Dec. 1.

Under this program, each Ukrainian will receive Hr 1,000 ($24) in aid, which can be used for specific expenses. Deputy Economy Minister Oleksii Soboliev clarified that these funds could be redirected to the military through donations, even if foreign aid itself cannot be directly allocated for military purposes, as reported by the NV news outlet.

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