- Mark Hamill told Bloomberg he's helped send 500 drones to Ukraine through the country's United24 initiative.
- The "Army of Drones" program is collecting drone donations to "constantly monitor the front line."
Mark Hamill, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the "Star Wars" film series, has helped send at least 500 drones to support the Ukrainian war effort, he said in a Wednesday Bloomberg interview.
"Very simply: Ukraine needs drones. They define war outcomes, they protect their land, their people, they monitor the border, they're eyes in the sky," Hamill told host Joe Mathieu in the radio interview.
As a celebrity fundraising ambassador to the Ukrainian United24 initiative, Hamill has advocated for surveillance drones to be sent to the Ukraine frontlines to improve surveillance and mapping of the invaded region. Other ambassadors of the "Army of Drones" program include Barbra Streisand, Liev Schreiber, Imagine Dragons, and Balenciaga creative director Demna, Deadline reported.
On its website, the United24 "Army of Drones" program calls for donations of funds and camera-equipped tactical unmanned drones "to make the Ukrainian Army stronger and save thousands of our defenders' lives."
"I was really shocked because they give me these updates at least two or three times a week about what's going on and they said they've received over 500 drones since I started this," Hamill told Mathieu. It is unclear if Hamill has donated any personal funds toward the initiative or if the 500 drones come from funds he has raised as an ambassador.
—Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) October 1, 2022
Hamill has been vocal about his support for Ukraine for months, sharing "Star Wars"-themed memes and participating in interviews about the war effort, drawing parallels between the fight between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire in "Star Wars" and the ongoing Russian invasion of the Eastern European country.
"I know for certain that Ukrainians need drones to protect their land, their freedom, and the values of the entire democratic world," Deadline reported Hamill said in a statement last month. "Right now is the best time for everyone to come together and help Ukraine stand up in this war with the evil empire."
Representatives for the "Army of Drones" program and Hamill did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.