Crypto force: activist Nadya Tolokonnikova, a volunteer in Kyiv and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
(Picture: Evening Standard)Within days of Russia’s vicious onslaught on Ukraine, citizens across the world began mobilising support online, sharing lists of organisations, charities and initiatives worthy of help.
Of course crowdfunding in the wake of humanitarian disasters is nothing new — but alongside the calls for donations to charities, for the first time, we began to see new kinds of appeals: friends sharing links to fund the Ukrainian army directly, or boasting they had just set up a Patreon subscription to buy “tanks and missiles”. Over the course of these past few weeks, crowdfunding has become an ever bigger part of the Ukrainian war effort. Should you wish to help purchase vital new equipment or weaponry, the National Bank of Ukraine has set up a handy page where you can donate in the currency of your choice (it even accepts Google Pay).
