Ukraine's Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra raised $900,000 after auctioning the trophy they got for the song Stefania. The group sold the crystal microphone in a Facebook auction, which was hosted by Ukrainian TV presenter Serhiy Prytula on Sunday.
The money raised from the auction will be used to buy military equipment for the ongoing war-- a PD-2 drone system, which includes three aircraft and a ground control station.
The band, over the weekend, also had a charity concert at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
The money raised will be used to buy medical care and supplies. The war in Ukraine has so far claimed 4,031 civilian lives and displaced around 14 million people. Bids were accepted in both cryptocurrencies and traditional currencies.
Zelenskyy visits frontlines in Kharkiv
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a rare visit to the frontlines in the city of Kharkiv as he sought to assess the strength of the country's defences.
Russian forces stormed Sievierodonetsk after trying unsuccessfully to encircle the strategic city, Ukrainian officials said, creating a situation that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as indescribably difficult. He said a relentless Russian artillery barrage had destroyed the town's critical infrastructure and damaged 90 per cent of its buildings.
Capturing Sievierodonetsk is a principal task for the occupation force, Zelensky said, adding that the Russians don't care about casualties.
The mayor said the fighting had knocked out power and cellphone service and forced a humanitarian relief centre to shut down because of the dangers.
The deteriorating conditions raised fears that Sieverodonetsk could become the next Mariupol, a city on the Sea of Azov that spent nearly three months under Russian siege before the last Ukrainian fighters surrendered.
--With PTI inputs
