In the UK, the activities of Ukrainian organizations were suspended due to suspicion of financing drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine
In Great Britain, the work of two Ukrainian student organizations was suspended due to suspicion of using charitable funds to purchase drones for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. About this informs Financial Times.
These are Ukrainian societies operating within the student unions of University College London (UCL) and Lancaster University. Both organizations have a charitable status, and according to British law, charitable foundations cannot directly direct the collected funds to military purposes.
UCL’s Students’ Union launched an internal investigation in March. It comes after it emerged that a Ukrainian company had purchased a £1,500 DJI Mavic drone and handed it over to the Ukrainian military on the front line. The president of the society, Artur Podsoha, noted that these funds were not collected specifically for the purchase of a drone, but came as income from a charity event organized in October 2024.
“We believe it would be unfair of us to use the support of Great Britain and do nothing to help our country and soldiers.” – Artur Podsokha explained.
He also emphasized that he cannot stand aside while Russia has been waging aggression against Ukraine since 2014, and added that the soldier who received the drone sent a video of thanks. According to him, the members of the society feel “the privilege of being safe while Ukraine is subjected to constant shelling.”
The leadership of UCL supported the student union’s decision to temporarily suspend the activities of the Ukrainian society, noting that “their investigation and disciplinary processes are completely independent of University College London, so it would be inappropriate to make any further comments while it is ongoing.”
At Lancaster University, a Ukrainian society is suspected of purchasing three DJI Mavic 3 drones and accessories for territorial defense units. Representatives of the organization stated that their activities have always had an exclusively humanitarian nature.
