“WOGON DOPOMOCHI. Gathering a squad of robots” is a joint project of the WOG filling stations network, PrivatBank and the Serhiy Prytula Charitable Foundation. In 2.5 months, we managed to accumulate more than UAH 60.8 million for ShaBlya automated turrets and Rys unmanned platforms made in Ukraine.
The project was launched in mid-June. Anyone could join the project. To do this, it was enough to fill a car with Mustang branded fuel at WOG. For each litre purchased, the company transferred UAH 1 from its own profits to purchase a “robot squad”, and when paying with a PrivatBank card, the bank added another UAH 1. It was also possible to donate any amount directly to the project.
“We are grateful to the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who joined the initiative to help the Defence Forces by assembling a ‘robot squad’. At the beginning of the project, we planned to raise UAH 50 million for this purpose, and we exceeded it. This means even more robotic assistance to the army. Almost 60% of the collection was provided by the WOG community, which refuelled with Mustang fuel at our filling stations and paid with PrivatBank cards,” said Vladlena Rusina, COO of the WOG filling stations network.
“The success of this project is the synergy of big business, the foundation and every Ukrainian. The “Sabre for ShaBli” auction, held as part of the initiative by the Serhiy Prytula Charitable Foundation, is just one example. The saber of Olympic champion Olga Harlan, which she used to deliver the winning stab in the final match at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, was sold for UAH 10 million. Now, thanks to this artefact, our defenders will have even more ShaBla automated turrets.
“The amount of assistance is as important as the pace of its delivery, i.e. the minimum time between the transfer of funds and the purchase and delivery of the necessary equipment or weapons. So we aimed to turn the accumulated funds into a “robot squad” as quickly as possible. Even before the project was completed, three batches of aid totalling 38 ShaBlya automated turrets and 2 Rys unmanned platforms were delivered to three combat units. The military will soon receive even more robotic reinforcements. Let robots, not people, fight at the front,” said Gennadiy Karlinskiy, Marketing Director of WOG filling stations.
“We are pleased to summarise the successful outcome of our fundraising for the ‘robot squad’. We are grateful to our partners WOG and PrivatBank, who joined the collection and offered an effective collection mechanism. This is exactly the synergy of the volunteer community and Ukrainian business to help the Defence Forces. Together, we provide unmanned solutions for the army that will help save the most valuable thing – the lives of our defenders,” summed up Serhiy Prytula, public figure and founder of the Prytula Foundation.
“This equipment will help protect machine gunners and soldiers from enemy shells. He will be able to use it to work from cover, with less risk to his life. A single machine gunner can stop an enemy attack from a squad to an entire platoon with fire. And thanks to this platform, he will be able to do it remotely, staying safe,” said “Irishman”, a soldier with the 53rd Brigade.
The ShaBlya bulletproof automated systems help soldiers fight remotely, at a distance of up to 2 kilometres, which saves the lives and health of defenders. The Lynx robotic platform helps the military deliver equipment to remote combat missions without a driver, as it is controlled remotely.
Gusev Art Lab is a creative partner of the project.