TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Some Taiwanese are sending cash donations in exchange for a personalized signature on Ukrainian army artillery shells to show their support for Ukraine.
On Friday (June 2), the Twitter account @NiKiTa_32156 posted a photo of an artillery shell with the message "Taiwan stands with Ukraine From Tim Hsu" scrawled in black marker. The caption reads in Chinese "Taiwan Tim opens fire," and it appears that a soldier wearing combat boots captured the photo in a rain-soaked trench. The next day, Australian political activist Drew Pavlou retweeted the post, quickly gaining 21,000 likes and nearly 2,000 retweets.
Lai Cheng-wei (賴正瑋), a former chemistry professional and war analysis blogger in Taiwan, told Taiwan News that Hsu asked him about making a donation for the artillery shells via Twitter.
Lai said a Ukrainian veteran based in Western Ukraine, who is fluent in Mandarin and goes by the Twitter handle Nikita, started the donation campaign on May 15. The public can donate US$50 (NT$1,500) via the Ukrainian bank Monobank to have their name signed on an artillery shell used by a Ukrainian artillery team.
Taiwanese unable to wire funds to Monobank can contact Lai via Twitter or Facebook to use one of three alternative methods to send donations: Cryptocurrency, PayPal, or direct deposit to his bank account.
Hsu, who wished not to reveal his full Chinese name, told Taiwan News that he works as a teacher in Taiwan. He said he is a history student, especially interested in WWII, and was moved by Martin Niemoller's famous confessional poem "First they came ..." to donate to Ukraine.
He spotted Nikita's campaign on Twitter after deciding to make a donation. Since Hsu was unable to donate to Nikita directly, he made the donation through Lai.
Hsu said he did not expect the photo of his name on the artillery shell to be retweeted by Pavlou and receive so much attention.
Other Taiwanese online influencers have also donated. Twitter user Sydney Daddy chose his signature to read "Kung Pao Putin." Twitter user Why You Tou Zheli? also had their handle inscribed on a shell.
台灣Tim開炮。 pic.twitter.com/nCY5DmBzdM
— NiKITa〔錯誤字元無法儲存〕〔錯誤字元無法儲存〕 ꑭ (@NiKiTa_32156) June 2, 2023
Taiwan stands with Ukraine! pic.twitter.com/rVCAQGAJzv
— Drew Pavlou (@DrewPavlou) June 3, 2023
我拿普京打了一炮，谢谢 @NiKiTa_32156 帮安排
上面写的是Kung Pao Putin（宫爆普京）
本来我还想画只的 pic.twitter.com/zaYOYWjBcC
— 悉尼奶爸 SydneyDaddy 雪梨奶爸 〔錯誤字元無法儲存〕〔錯誤字元無法儲存〕 (@SydneyDaddy1) May 24, 2023
WHY YOU TOU ZHE LE ?
谢谢@NiKiTa_32156 pic.twitter.com/ljUZpv68gu
— 李老师不是你老师 (@whyyoutouzhele) May 24, 2023
