CS:GO pro and Ukrainian native Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev donated one million hryvnias ($33,000) to the Ukrainian army as it fights off the Russian invasion which began in late February. One of the most prominent names in professional CS:GO, s1mple has been vocal in his support for Ukraine, having previously relayed a message promoting peace at the recent IEM Katowice 2022 tournament.
“All of us want peace—for Ukraine, and for the whole world,” said s1mple at IEM Katowice. “All of us are scared, and all of us need to show an example at this tournament. We need to stay together as a unit, with our fans, with our friends, and with everybody watching. And we all need to stay humans first.”
The Ukrainian player, who plays for Natus Vincere, followed his statement with a series of donations in support of the Ukrainian army. S1mple had traveled to Poland for IEM Katowice, but it is likely that he won’t be able to return home to Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict in the country.
(All information was provided by Dot Esports and Vice)