Czech citizens raise €1.2m to send rocket launcher and 365 missiles to Ukraine

A RM-70 rocket launcher.
A RM-70 rocket launcher. Copyright Euronews
By Rory Elliott ArmstrongJiri Skacel
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Czech citizens have pulled together €1.2m to send a RM-70 rocket launcher and 365 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine.

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Within a few weeks, a RМ-70 rocket launcher along and 365 missiles will be transferred to Ukraine from the Czech Republic. However, this is not part of and aid package from the government, but is the result of €1.2 million donations made by Czech citizens.

The launcher can fire 40 missiles in 90 seconds and can reload exceptionally quickly.

"Today we have exceeded USD 1.3 million (€1.2 million) , our goal is more than USD 2.3 million (€2.4 million). The launcher costs almost USD 784,000 (€730,000)," said Martin Ondracek, author of the donation project, dubbed 'A Gift to Putin'.

In one year, more than 120,000 contributors have more than 18 million euros in aid to Ukraine.

After the full-scale Russian invasion in February, they immediately started sending money to the Ukrainian Embassy account. However, interest in the account slowly waned. Now, they aim at raising funds to help care for wounded soldiers.

Dalibo Dedek, an entrepreneur involved in the project, said that the problem is that the cause of human suffering is “military aggression” and “that cannot be stopped with words, only actions”.

Inflatable tanks

Russia’s war in Ukraine has sparked a surge in demand for weapons and vehicles, with many allies sending supplies to Ukraine to help the country defend itself.

But the war has also seen a surge in demand for inflatable decoy vehicles and weapons – with one company’s business up 30 per cent last year.

Czech tech company Inflatech makes more than 30 different inflatable military decoys, ranging from tanks and armored vehicles, to aircraft and large weapons that cost up to €90,000 each.

The decoys can contribute to the war effort by fooling enemy forces. The trick is to deceive cameras, thermal cameras and radars to make them believe they have pinpointed a valuable target and use expensive missiles to destroy it.

Watch video in the player above.

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