Mark Hamill, known for playing the iconic hero Luke Skywalker, has become an ambassador for the UNITED24 fundraising platform. He will support the Army of Drones project, according to the Ukrainian president's official website.
The new ambassador introduction took place during an online call with the President of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to Mark Hamill for supporting Ukrainian people since the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine.
"The light will win over darkness. I believe in this, our people believe in this," said the president. "Thank you for taking on this difficult mission of being the first ambassador to help Ukraine raise funds for the Army of Drones to support our defenders. It is really important!"
Mark Hamill and Volodymyr Zelenskyy also discussed the actor's next steps in supporting UNITED24.
"In this long and unequal fight, Ukraine needs continuous additional support. That's why I was honored President Zelenskyy asked me to become an ambassador for the Army of Drones," said Mark Hamill. " I know for certain that Ukrainians need drones to protect their land, their freedom and the values of the entire democratic world. Right now is the best time for everyone to come together and help Ukraine stand up in this war with the evil empire."
The Army of Drones project is a complex program of the fundraising platform UNITED24, the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the State Special Communications Service, which provides for the regular procurement of drones, their repair and prompt replacement, as well as a pilot training. Thanks to the contributions to the Army of Drones, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have already received 986 UAVs. The total amount of purchases is 1,905,508,866 UAH.
UNITED24 is a fundraising platform, initiated by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It is the central venue for charitable donations in support of Ukraine. During the first four months of operation, UNITED24 collected more than 180 million dollars from citizens of 110 countries worldwide. Among UNITED24 ambassadors are famous athletes – Andriy Shevchenko and Elina Svitolina, the creative director of Balenciaga – Demna, American actor – Liev Schreiber, the band Imagine Dragons, the singer and actress Barbra Streisand.