Video: Residents of occupied Crimea bought gasoline, but their money went to the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Residents of the temporarily occupied Crimea who attempted to purchase counterfeit QR codes to buy scarce fuel unwittingly contributed to a fundraiser for vehicles for the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

Following a major glitch in the fuel card distribution system and the resulting acute gasoline shortage on the peninsula, online offers to sell fake coupons began to proliferate. 

A significant number of people seeking to circumvent the restrictions transferred funds, which were automatically directed toward the purchase of vehicles for the FPV unit of the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after General-Horunzhy Mark Bezruchko.

Buyers of fake QR codes only learned about the true purpose of their financial transfers after the transactions were completed. Meanwhile, fuel shortages and restrictions at gas stations continue to complicate logistics and are effectively derailing the resort season on the occupied peninsula.

Source: 110th Mechanized Brigade named after General-Horunzhy Mark Bezruchko.

Russia has allowed the use of lower-quality gasoline due to the fuel crisis.