A new hope: Zelenskyy signs up Luke Skywalker to help Ukraine

EuroActiv Politico News

Luke Skywalker — well, Mark Hamill, the actor who plays him in Star Wars — has been named ambassador to a fundraising project run by the Ukrainian government.

Hamill will be the ambassador of the “Army of Drones” project, according to the official website of the Ukrainian president.

The project involves drone procurement and maintenance, as well as pilot training, with the drones used to monitor the front line, the project’s website states.

“The light will win over darkness. I believe in this, our people believe in this,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the American actor in a video conference, thanking him for the support of the Ukrainian people.

Hamill tweeted Thursday night that he was “honored” to be given the role. He also said that “Ukrainians need drones to protect their land, their freedom and the values of the entire democratic world.”

Honored to be an Ambassador for the Army of Drones and to help President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine in any way possible @ZelenskyyUA @U24_gov_ua pic.twitter.com/1JafSR7Nny

— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) September 29, 2022

The “Army of Drones” is a joint venture of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the fundraising platform UNITED24. The latter was initiated by Zelenskyy and has raised more than $180 million dollars.

Other celebrities — including the band Imagine Dragons and the singer and actress Barbra Streisand — have also been named ambassadors for the platform.