Kopytsia, an online store founded in 1998 in the Chernihiv region of Ukraine, has released a series of what it calls “patriotic soft toys” to honor the country’s resistance to Russia and the help it has received. Among the toys on offer are embraceable Bayraktar TB3 versions, Turkish-made drones that played a key role in Ukraine’s defense, and Javelins, anti-tank weapons used by Ukraine to wipe out Russian battle tanks on the battlefield. . Also on offer is a miniature 20-inch version of the Mriya cargo plane, which was the heaviest aircraft ever built before being destroyed in the battle for Antonov Airport outside Kyiv in the early days of the Russian invasion in February. Maria Kopitsia, who runs the family business with her father Anatoly, said the goal was “to support the patriotic mood of our nation and to support the armed forces of Ukraine.” Ms Kopytsia, who remained in Ukraine throughout the war, said the family had launched a series of products that boosted morale in the first two weeks of the war, but fierce fighting in northern Ukraine, including the Chernihiv region, made delivery to the capital and other major cities impossible. Prices range between $ 8 and $ 12 per game. Ms. Kopitsia said that the sales of the toys will be available for the payment of their employees. On Sunday, a photo published by Ukrainian journalist Olga Tokariuk showing Ms. Kopytsia’s toys for sale in a store in Western Ukraine went viral, and Ms. Kopytsia says interest in them has skyrocketed – despite online criticism. that children from Ukraine are in danger of being militarized. Ms. Kopitsia said she was grateful for the West’s assistance to Ukraine. “If we can protect our country with their help and I can live in an independent Ukraine, then I am in favor of it,” he said.
