Patreon suspends NGO account collecting money for Ukrainian military

Screenshot: Patreon

The page for "Come Back Alive" was suspended by Patreon because it was collecting money to support the country's military in response to Russian aggression. In a statement given to CNBC, the platform said it does not allow any campaigns involved in violence or purchasing of military equipment, regardless of their cause.

As of January 26th this year, the Come Back Alive page had a modest 936 patrons bringing in around $19,000 a month, but it has been around for at least May 2020. After Russia invaded Ukraine, its membership list ballooned to over 14,700 patrons, which contributed a total of $436,966 a month.

Come Back Alive aims to provide technical assistance to the Ukrainian military, such as providing night vision equipment, as well as rehabilitate veterans. Body armor, medical kits, and helmets were provided to Ukrainian soldiers by the organization. The branding of the NGO's Patreon tiers are :Bullet,Projectile, andBomb.

The Ukrainian government is asking for donations to help with its war effort. There is a page on the country's government website where people can send money to help the war effort. The bonds were a type of debt that would be repaid in time.

The funds raised by Come Back Alive are not known. The director of the organization told CNBC that he sees a notice when he tries to access the account. If a page is removed from its service, the creator of the page will have to send the remaining funds or refunds the pledges.

We are shocked and devastated by the invasion of Ukraine, and we wish for the safety of the Ukrainians.