Ukrainian soldiers are selling war memorabilia — like downed Russian drones, artillery shells, and firsthand footage of Russian defeats — to raise funds for frontline soldiers, the New York Times reports.
Ukrainian soldiers are selling downed Russian drones and artillery shells to raise money for the war
- Donations from civilians to the Ukrainian war effort have dwindled since it began in 2022.
- So soldiers are auctioning defunct weapons and war footage to raise money for supplies and weapons.
- "We don't get that stuff issued to us," one soldier said. "We buy it all with our own money."
Soldiers told the Times that several units fighting Russian forces in Ukraine have to buy their own weapons and supplies, usually relying on outside donations. Those donations have waned since the war first began, they told the outlet.
Ruslan Zubariev, for example, made money off a viral video of him single-handedly killing a group of Russian soldiers with a rocket launcher. The funds went straight to his unit — the 92nd Mechanized Brigade — to purchase equipment.
"We don't get that stuff issued to us," Zubariev told the Times. "We buy it all with our own money."
Others are sending defunct weapons — like disabled antitank missile launchers — to be decorated and sold to the highest bidder at an art center in Kyiv, according to the Times.
Meanwhile, the head of the Come Back Alive foundation — a charity dedicated to funding the Ukrainian war effort — told the Times that the group has also seen donations dwindle since 2022 and has also turned to selling tokens of war, like downed Russian drones.
"Civilians don't realize that if they're tired and stop donating, it doesn't mean the war is over," Zubariev told the Times."
Ruslan Zubariev, for example, made money off a viral video of him single-handedly killing a group of Russian soldiers with a rocket launcher. The funds went straight to his unit — the 92nd Mechanized Brigade — to purchase equipment.
"We don't get that stuff issued to us," Zubariev told the Times. "We buy it all with our own money."
Others are sending defunct weapons — like disabled antitank missile launchers — to be decorated and sold to the highest bidder at an art center in Kyiv, according to the Times.
Meanwhile, the head of the Come Back Alive foundation — a charity dedicated to funding the Ukrainian war effort — told the Times that the group has also seen donations dwindle since 2022 and has also turned to selling tokens of war, like downed Russian drones.
"Civilians don't realize that if they're tired and stop donating, it doesn't mean the war is over," Zubariev told the Times."
Iraq War profiteers
Afghanistan War
During the Afghanistan War, defense sector stocks outperformed the average of the stock market by 58%. Commentators put into question whether the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan could be considered a failure for the United States.
- Jon Schwarz of The Intercept argued that "These numbers suggest that it is incorrect to conclude [that the] Afghanistan War was a failure.
- On the contrary, from the perspective of some of the most powerful people in the U.S., it may have been an extraordinary success. Notably, the boards of directors of all [top] five defense contractors include retired top-level military officers."[47]
- From 2007, there were regularly more contractors than U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
- By 2016, private contractors outnumbered US state personnel three to one.[
- In 2016, the Harris Corporation was awarded a $1.7 billion contract to supply communications equipment to Afghan security forces.
War in Ukraine[edit]
- The major oil and gas companies, including Shell,[50] ExxonMobil,[51] Chevron, Phillips 66, BP and Sinopec, and the major weapon manufacturers, such as Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems, reported sharp rises in interim revenues and profits.
The term "ABCD" refers to the four companies – ADM, Bunge, Cargill and Louis Dreyfus – that dominate world agricultural commodity trading. The ABCD commodity-trading companies have seen large profits as a result of the war in Ukraine and rising food prices.
In March 2022, Bloomberg reported that China was reselling its US LNG shipments to a desperate Europe at a "hefty profit". India was buying discounted oil from Russia.[Saudi Arabia also increased imports of discounted Russian oil.
- In September 2022, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck accused the United States and other "friendly" gas supplier nations that they were profiting from the Ukraine war with "astronomical prices". He called for more solidarity by the US to assist energy-pressed allies in Europe.
In April 2022, Russia supplied 45% of EU's gas imports, earning $900 million a day. In the first two months after Russia invaded Ukraine, Russia earned $66.5 billion from fossil fuel exports, and the EU accounted for 71% of that trade.
State actors and Politicians
Though war initially had the objective of territorial expansion and resource gathering, the country may also profit politically and strategically, replacing governments that do not fulfill its interests by key allied governments.
- One example of this is the CIA supporting the Contras with weapons to carry out terror attacks against the Nicaraguan government between the late 1970s and early 1990s
- Modern-day war profiteering among politicians has increased with the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- According to an article by USA Today in 2011 the top 100 largest contractors sold 410 billion dollars’ worth of arms and services.
- Within this massive expense of services has evolved what is called the revolving door. This revolving door has not differentiated between the two political parties. An example of this revolving door is the case of William J. Lynn III. In 2010 he was confirmed to serve as the number two man in the Pentagon after he worked as a lobbyist for Raytheon.
- This example shows the process of a person joining the government, then being hired as a lobbyist, and back to government. The revolving door is still in existence to this day.
Civilian contractors
- Private military contractors, including civilian contractors, are businesses that supply weapons and training to the military, and also handle logistics and base management. While private military contractors may seem similar to mercenaries, the difference is that mercenaries operate illegally.
- More recently, companies involved with supplying the coalition forces in the Iraq War, such as Bechtel, KBR, Academi (formerly known as Blackwater) and Halliburton, have come under fire for allegedly overcharging for their services.
- The modern private military company is also offered as an example of sanctioned war profiteering.
Black marketeers[edit]
A distinction can be made between war profiteers who gain by sapping military strength and those who gain by contributing to the war.
- For instance, during and after World War II, enormous profits were available by selling rationed goods like cigarettes, chocolate, coffee and butter on the black market.
- Dishonest military personnel given oversight over valuable property sometimes diverted rationed goods to the black market.
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