The Ukrainian band which took home the top prize at the Eurovision Song Contest has sold its trophy for $900,000 in order to buy drones to help their native country fight off the Russian invasion.
Kalush Orchestra, the rap-folk band that won the May 14 competition with its song “Stefania,” sold the crystal mic trophy to an Estonia-based cryptocurrency exchange, WhiteBit.
The band announced on its Facebook page that it sold the trophy at auction.
“You guys are amazing!” the band wrote.
“We appreciate each and every one of you who donated to this auction, and a special thanks to the team (of cryptocurrency exchange) Whitebit who purchased the trophy for $900,000 and are now the rightful owners of our trophy.”
The funds raised will be used to purchase the PD-2 unmanned aerial system, which includes three aircraft and a ground control station, Ukrainian television host Serhiy Prytula said at the auction.
Band leader Oleg Psiuk and his five cohorts were called to return to their country immediately after their victory.
The Kyiv government has ordered all men aged 18 to 60 to remain in Ukraine during the conflict with Russia. But the all-male group was allowed to leave to compete at the contest in Turin, Italy.
Russia’s invasion on Ukraine, now in its fourth month, has claimed thousands of civilian lives, caused millions of Ukrainians to flee, and reduced cities to rubble.
Moscow calls its actions a “special military operation” to disarm Ukraine and protect it from “fascists.” Ukraine and the West say that allegation is baseless and that the war is an unprovoked act of aggression.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian forces endured heavy artillery barrages as they held off Russian attempts to capture Sievierodonetsk, the largest city Ukraine still controls in the eastern region of Luhansk.
With Post wires
