Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra, winner of the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, has auctioned off its trophy to help fund the country's war effort against invading Russian forces.
The band announced on May 29 that it had sold its copy of the the iconic crystal award, cut into the shape of a microphone, to a web-based Ukrainian cryptocurrency exchange.
"A special thanks to the team Whitebit, which purchased the trophy for $900,000 and are now the rightful owners," Kalush Orchestra said.
The band also raffled off front man Oleh Psyuk's signature pink Panama hat during a charity concert in Berlin on May 29, with all proceeds from the sales to be donated to support the Ukrainian military.
Serhiy Prytula, a TV presenter who organized the auction, said earlier that the plan was to use the collected funds to purchase Ukrainian-manufactured PD-2 military drones.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, but failed in its early attempts to capture the Ukrainian capital.
Fighting is now centered on Ukraine's east, where Kyiv's forces are engaged in fierce battles as they counter a Russian offensive.
The Kalush Orchestra won the 66th Eurovision earlier this month in Italy with its entry Stefania. Russia was excluded from the contest due to its unprovoked war against Ukraine.
