Polish activists launch fundraiser for buses for Vinnytsia after scandal
Polish activists have started a fundraiser to buy 15 buses from the city of Kielce and send them to Vinnytsia, Ukraine, after the original request was withdrawn amid a political scandal.
Polish activists from the Sikorki na Ukrainie foundation have launched a crowdfunding campaign to purchase 15 buses from the city of Kielce and donate them to Vinnytsia, Ukraine. The fundraiser on Zrzutka.pl aims to collect 500,000 Polish zloty. According to the activists, the 17-year-old buses would otherwise likely rot or be scrapped.
As of the evening of June 11, nearly 57,000 zloty had been raised. If the purchase and transfer prove impossible for reasons beyond the organizers' control, the funds will be redirected to protect civilians from Russian aerial attacks.
The controversy began when Kielce Mayor Agata Wojda stated that the request from Vinnytsia had been surrounded by lies, manipulation, and "ordinary human meanness." As a result, Vinnytsia Mayor Serhiy Morhunov withdrew the official request. Meanwhile, the Law and Justice party faction in the Kielce city council submitted a resolution urging the Vinnytsia mayor to rename Stepan Bandera Street, but the vote failed.
In recent days, Poland has also seen a scandal over Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's decision to name a Special Operations Forces center after Ukrainian Insurgent Army heroes.
