„Wir halten die Russen nur mit Crowdfunding-Drohnen zurück“, sagt der ukrainische Kommandeur

***The Telegraph reports:***

Ukraine is only [holding back a Russian breakthrough](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/russia-ukraine-war/) with drones paid for by volunteers, as Western arms supplies run out, one of Kyiv’s top military commanders has said.“I get 20 projectiles for a mortar per week, while one Russian mortar fires 50-60 projectiles at one Ukrainian position per day.”

Lieutenant Colonel Pavlo Kurylenko, a commander in Ukraine’s Presidential Brigade, said that the lack of Western-supplied weaponry was “horrible” and front line units were relying on donations or sourcing drones themselves.

[He warned that Russia was preparing](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/04/12/ukraine-nato-strategy-training-war-offensive/) a massive offensive for this summer and said that, without fresh deliveries of aid, Ukrainian troops would soon have to fall back to the Dnipro River.

“The only thing preventing Russia’s breakthrough on all fronts is FPV (first-person) drones, 90 per cent of which are being provided by volunteers or military divisions themselves,”  Lt Col Kurylenko told The Telegraph in an interview at a military base outside of Kyiv.

“A year ago it was a ‘bad situation’. Today [the situation with shells and gear is just horrible](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/09/cameron-snubbed-by-republican-house-speaker-as-he-says-hes/),” said the commander, one of the so-called “Cyborgs” who fought off Kremlin forces in the battle for Donetsk airport.

Leaning forward in his chair in an office decorated with captured Russian assault rifles, Lt Col Kurylenko placed his handgun on the table and thumped his fist as he explained the struggles of his men.

“Imagine: a column of Russian hardwear comes at you. They attack. If we shoot at them with a mortar, the next day we will have just machine guns to fire at the next column of tanks…”

**Read more:** [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/04/12/only-crowdfunded-drones-holding-the-russians-back-ukraine/](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/04/12/only-crowdfunded-drones-holding-the-russians-back-ukraine/)

The common man understands what’s happening that’s why crowdfunding is going on. The politicians are so dysfunctional they’ve separated from real world speeds of required response.

[https://u24.gov.ua/dronation](https://u24.gov.ua/dronation)