KYIV, Ukraine — In one of the combat zones against Russia, the supply chief for a Ukrainian fighting brigade places his online order for war supplies — a long list
In the war in Ukraine, troops on both sides are getting supplies from crowd-funders. On the Ukrainian side, the self-starting networks of donors and volunteers are particularly large, spontaneous and well-oiled. At a critical juncture of the invasion, their deliveries of drones, high-tech optical gear, vehicles and other equipment are keeping Ukraine in the fight against its better-supplied aggressor. Crowd-funders have thrown together online systems to convert millions of dollars in donations into swift Amazon-like deliveries direct to front lines. The volunteering is also boosting morale, providing tangible proof to Ukrainians that they’re together in their fight for survival. Convoys set off every week from the capital, loaded with crowd-funded equipment.