STRUM: Support They Can Count On

Supporting Ukraine is a responsibility shared by everyone who wants to see it free. Not everyone can stand on the front line, but everyone can choose a sustainable way to help those who do.

STRUM is the official monthly-donation platform supporting the needs of the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of Ukraine's National Guard. It is more than another fundraiser. STRUM turns waves of public support into a reliable resource that makes it possible to plan ahead, respond quickly and avoid starting every vital purchase from zero.

A large one-off gift matters. But even a modest recurring donation creates predictability. The best contribution is one you can genuinely sustain.

Why recurring donations are often more powerful

War does not follow the news cycle. Drones, antennas, batteries, communications equipment, optics, vehicles and repair components are needed continuously—not only while a major appeal is attracting attention.

A monthly subscription helps the team:

• anticipate available funds and plan procurement;
• build a reserve for urgent and emerging needs;
• maintain uninterrupted supplies of consumable equipment;
• depend less on temporary surges of public attention;
• share the burden among many people, each contributing an affordable amount.

The practical effect is visible in public reporting. STRUM's February 2026 report records $97,607 in monthly subscription revenue and $131,340 in requests fulfilled for four brigade units. A buffer built in previous months covered the difference. Purchases included unmanned-systems components, antennas, thermal cameras, Starlink terminals, reconnaissance drones, batteries and protective equipment.

Regularity becomes an operational advantage: the team can act when a need appears, not only when a new campaign finally reaches its target.

Who are Azov, and why does their record matter?

Azov today is a professional formation within Ukraine's National Guard. It began as a volunteer battalion in May 2014, when Ukraine urgently needed to resist Russian aggression in the east. It played a key role in liberating Mariupol on 13 June 2014, entered the National Guard that November and became the 12th Special Forces Brigade in February 2023. The brigade publishes a detailed chronology on its official website.

Major chapters of its combat record include:

• the liberation and defence of Mariupol in 2014;
• the Pavlopil–Shyrokyne offensive in 2015;
• operations around the Svitlodarsk salient;
• the 86-day defence of Mariupol in 2022 while completely surrounded;
• rebuilding after the Mariupol garrison left Azovstal and subsequent operations in the Zaporizhzhia, Kreminna and Toretsk sectors.

The defence of Mariupol became a symbol of Ukrainian endurance. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the city's garrison tied down Russian forces for weeks and kept them from advancing deeper into Ukraine. Its defenders operated under constant bombardment and severe shortages of ammunition, medicine and water. Many were killed, and hundreds experienced—or remain in—Russian captivity.

The truth behind Russia's “Nazi” label

For years, the Kremlin has made Azov central to its propaganda claim that Ukraine is supposedly “Nazi.” The label replaces facts with an emotional association and projects controversies involving some founders of the 2014 volunteer battalion onto thousands of people serving in a modern state military unit.

The history should not be sanitised: some people associated with the early volunteer formation did hold far-right views, and its early symbolism attracted legitimate criticism. That does not make the present brigade “Nazi.” Since 2014 it has operated within the National Guard, under state command and military discipline. Its members defend the constitutional order of democratic Ukraine; they do not serve a political party or implement a racial ideology.

In 2024, the United States subjected the brigade to Leahy vetting and found no evidence of gross human-rights violations by the current unit, after which restrictions on US training and weapons were removed. Associated Press also notes that Moscow has offered little public evidence for its sweeping accusations.

Russian propaganda targets Azov not out of an honest effort to examine a complicated past. It does so because an effective unit, the liberation of Mariupol and the defence of Azovstal undermine the myth of Russian invincibility. Here, “Nazism” functions not as analysis but as a weapon: a way to dehumanise Ukrainian defenders, justify invasion and discourage support for a capable unit.

How a STRUM subscription works

Signing up is much like creating any other digital subscription:

1. Open the official STRUM website.
2. Select your currency and a comfortable monthly amount.
3. Enter the requested contact and payment details.
4. Confirm registration through the email you receive.
5. Manage the subscription from your personal account.

According to the official instructions, you can change the amount or cancel the subscription. Your account also provides access to your support history, a referral programme, reports and subscription-level rewards. Before paying, always check that the domain is strum.azov.one.

The striking profile-picture badge

The account dashboard includes a small but clever feature: a personalised profile-picture generator. It adds STRUM's recognisable red badge to your photo, ready to use as an avatar on social media.

It is more than decoration. The badge:

• shows that recurring support is a normal, everyday practice;
• quietly reminds friends that STRUM exists;
• helps members of the community recognise one another;
• can start a conversation and bring in another subscriber.

The same account area lets you download a video for stories and invite friends through a personal referral link. One donation strengthens the brigade; one donation that inspires others can begin a whole chain of support.

How much should you choose?

The right amount is not the largest amount possible. It is the amount you can give safely and consistently. A modest subscription maintained for many months is more useful than an unsustainable payment you must immediately cancel.

You can start small, see how it fits your budget and adjust it later. If your circumstances change, reducing or pausing support is reasonable. Sustainable giving is built on habit and trust, not guilt.

Take the step today

Helping Ukraine is not a competition over who gives the most. Its strength comes from the number of people who refuse to turn away and continue doing what they can.

STRUM and UNITED24 do not compete; they serve different needs. STRUM provides predictable monthly support to a specific brigade, while UNITED24 operates at the national level and lets donors choose broader priorities including defence, medical aid, reconstruction and education. Australians can also make direct transfers in AUD. Our guide, “Why UAANT Directs Support Through UNITED24”, explains the options, reporting and transfer process.

Set up monthly support, tell people close to you, and add the STRUM badge to your profile picture. Let your contribution become part of the resource Ukraine's defenders can count on.

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Start a recurring STRUM donation →

Sources and further reading

• How STRUM works
• STRUM reports and news
• Azov's history, structure and combat record
• US vetting and the removal of restrictions in 2024 — Associated Press