JRL NEWSWATCH: “Donors Are War-Weary, So Ukrainian Soldiers Get Creative for Funds” – New York Times
“A robust fund-raising operation has been critical in supplying Ukraine’s military. But as the war drags on, contributions have lagged.”
“… [M]any Ukrainian military units have relied heavily on donations and charitable funds to supply … troops with much-needed supplies like first aid kits, body armor, vehicles and even drones. People and groups from around the world rallied to Ukraine’s cause, providing valuable aid that could find its way to the front lines far more quickly than goods coming through often cumbersome government channels. …[E]nthusiasm [now] seems to be waning, based on interviews with charities and soldiers …. Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines say … donations now are less frequent, … that people seem to be moving on from the war, even though the conflict is just as tough and bloody as ever and casualties … mount. … Fund-raisers typically buy … goods directly from suppliers, sometimes using intermediaries abroad. They can often bypass the slow bureaucracy and send them to specific units or soldiers, allowing them to be more nimble than the military’s own distribution system. …”