‘Tomas the tank’: Online crowdfunding raises enough to buy Ukraine a modernised T-72 Avenger
Over 11,000 individuals raise $1.3m to gift the tank to Ukraine
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Your support makes all the difference.A crowdfunding campaign in the Czech Republic successfully raised nearly $1.3m to gift a modernised Soviet-era tank called “Tomas” to Ukraine.
Backed by the country’s defence ministry and Ukraine’s embassy in Prague, the campaign received donations from more than 11,288 individuals.
The T-72 avenger tank, which first entered production in 1969, has been modernised to improve protective systems and has upgraded night-vision and communications equipment.
Named after the famous children’s cartoon character, the tank has an upgraded front cannon and is equipped with 22 cartridges. It is also capable of using Czech sub-caliber anti-armour missiles which can penetrate through 500mm thick armour at a distance of 2km, reported the Telegraph.
“The Czech Republic became the first country where ordinary people bought a tank for [defence of Ukraine],” Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Yevhen Perebyinis said on Twitter as he thanked the contributors for donating through the “Gift for Putin” initiative.
Founded by Czech businessman Dalibor Dedek, the “Buy a ‘gift’ for Mr Putin” project is a campaign aimed at raising funds to provide Ukraine’s military “with more specialised equipment”, including ammunition and drones.
Czech defence minister Jana Cernochova called the tank “a proper present” for Russian president Vladimir Putin, who marks his 70th birthday on 7 October.
"Many thanks to all of you who buy him ‘gifts’ in the form of support for Ukraine," she was quoted as saying by the BBC News. “Once again, thank you very much for your generosity and solidarity. We must continue to help Ukraine! All of us. And we will!”
The Czech Republic, along with Nato and European Union members, has been a strong backer of Ukraine.
It has shipped surplus army stocks and privately sourced equipment funded by other countries to the country, including older tanks, multiple rocket launchers, artillery, infantry fighting vehicles and air-defence systems.
According to the Ukraine embassy, Czechs donated around $51.72m by the end of September to its weapon-purchase funding efforts coordinated with the Czech Defence Ministry.
Additional reporting by agencies
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