Eurovision winners sell trophy for £700K to buy drones for Ukrainian war effort

Absolutely class

Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra have raised $900,000 (£712,000) to help Ukraine fight off the Russian invasion after selling their trophy. The 2022 champions sold the iconic crystal microphone on Facebook, to help pay for additional defence drones. The sale coincided with a charity benefit for the war-torn country at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Sunday. Thousands turned out to see the group perform their hit song as well as protest Vladimir Putin's continued campaign. https://twitter.com/pepperandbones/status/1531013038366674945?s=20&t=uV5vUKIpkgkhX4EHrQ-XJg While the humanitarian gig aimed to raise money for medical care and supplies, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is still calling on UN nations for more military aid, with drones having been sent to the frontline by the likes of the US, UK, and Turkey, as well those manufactured domestically. During the live TV broadcast, Ukrainian Serhiy Prytula announced that the money raised from the sale of the trophy would be going towards purchasing three PD-2 drones, which are made in Ukraine, Reuters reported. Kalush Orchestra frontman, Oleh Psiuk, said during the performance that he thinks the war should "be on the front pages always, until peace comes". The invasion began on February 24 and has now been running for more than three months. The UN estimates that at least 4,031 civilians have died and 4,735 injured. The number of combatants killed will remain unclear for some time as the figures continue to rise.

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