People are paying to have personal messages put on Ukrainian artillery shells

'Send your message to the Russian Invaders!' says the website

People are paying hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars to have personalised messages written on to army weapons which are then used by Ukrainian soldiers to attack Russian forces. From marriage proposals to witty phrases, hundreds of people across the world have paid to have their own creative comments tagged onto projectiles. “This one's a gay bomb”, “From Silicon Valley with love” and “Fighting fascism is a full-time job” are just some of the phrases that have been requested, the New York Times reports. Signmyrocket.com is the most popular website offering “artillery mailing”, with all donations going towards Support for Ukraine. https://twitter.com/SignMyRocket/status/1556748050613272582 The idea is simple: soldiers on the frontline write requested messages on artillery shells in permanent marker which are then fired at Russian soldiers. “You will receive a photo of your signed shell or a video of it being fired,” the website explains, “Or you can even sign a M777 howitzer.” https://twitter.com/SignMyRocket/status/1550793639848288257 SignMyRocket was started by 21-year-old IT student Anton Sokolenko. He began volunteering for 'Centre for Assistance to the Army, Veterans and Their Families' in March and wanted to help the NGO following a decline in donations. Over 200 permanent markers have been sent to frontline soldiers, who Sokolenko got in touch with via word of mouth and the charity's military contacts. The website has raised over $200,000 dollars in less than three months. https://twitter.com/SignMyRocket/status/1561564659949486081 The cost of getting a personal message all depends on the weapon. A message on a Howitzer shell will cost you $150, whereas one written on the side of a tank's turret will set you back $3,000. The charity has used the profits to provide frontline soldiers with cars, drones and optical equipment as they continue to battle against Russian forces amid the ongoing war.

Speaking to the New York Times, organiser Sokolenko said: “It’s not very official, and not very allowed. But they kind of need to do it because we can give them stuff that our government cannot give them right now.”

JOE has contacted Ukraine’s Defense Ministry for comment. Related links:

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