1/ Civilian donations to the Russian army are said to have have collapsed ahead of the imminent ban on Telegram. It's a consequence, predicted by warbloggers, of the Russian government's apparent decision to ban the app. The impact on the front line is likely to be severe. ⬇️ 
2/ As the thread below highlights, the Russian army is dependent on volunteer donations for a huge amount of equipment, ranging from medicines, to generators, to vehicles. However, donations have been steadily dwindling as the economy has worsened.
https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1951588719544152070
3/ Telegram channels have been central venues for 'humanitarian aid' efforts, with their operators also raising money through shared revenue from adverts. The likely ban from 1 April has sent advertisers and subscribers fleeing. Russian soldier and warblogger 'Thirteenth' writes:
4/ "Regarding the aid situation, I'd say the collection has practically dried up. Before, the situation wasn't much better; we were able to cover some of the unit's needs, but now it's completely dismal.
5/ "I've thought many times, "Maybe I should just forget about it all?" Instead of "Thank you," I hear people say things like, "Look, those who 'volunteer' live well, but what kind of car do you have?"...
6/ "And I don't have a car. I have a moped at home, a regular one, and it's currently sitting there with flat tires while I'm at the Special Military Operation.
7/ "You wait for your salary like manna from heaven, and any help was mostly through advertising, but after the news of Telegram's imminent blocking, the advertising market for Telegram collapsed, advertisers are leaving, and revenues have plummeted accordingly.
8/ "The only thing that keeps me from giving up is the thought that ordinary soldiers currently at the front need this. This isn't for just anyone, it's for them. If you watch this video closely, you'll see guys who are no longer alive, but we helped them as best we could.
9/ "For example, Sasha "Bas" over there with a thermal imager we gave him, or Zhenya "Ermak" who was thanking us for the vehicles we donated to his brigade. Watching this sobers me up from my bad thoughts. If someone doesn't care, then I don't care.
10/ "We need to do something, we need to help, we need to get it done. And if we don't, then who will?
11/ "By and large, people in the rear couldn't care less. They're all partying in clubs, wasting their money on their own "wants," and what's happening at the front isn't particularly important to them.
12/ [They say] "The army will provide for everything, they'll figure it out themselves," and that's the way almost everyone thinks if they or their family aren't affected. On holidays, they throw banquets and feast while others die.
13/ "There are funerals on one street, and on the other, those who don't care about the front are wasting their money in clubs.
14/ "Volunteers online accuse each other of fraud, bickering over every little thing, while others sometimes truly "confuse the banks" by purchasing expensive foreign cars and real estate without officially working anywhere. Unfortunately, there are those too." /end
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