Kalush Orchestra have marked Ukrainian Independence Day by sharing a message of hope and making a fresh appeal for donations.The rap group raised $900,000 (£739k) by auctioning off their Eurovision trophy after winning the contest in May. An additional $370,000 (£301k) was generated by raffling off the pink bucket hat that frontman Oleg Psyuk wore during their victorious performance.Speaking to NME ahead of the competition, Psyuk explained how Kalush Orchestra taking part felt like a “huge responsibility”, given their home country’s ongoing war with neighbouring Russia.Today (August 24), Psyuk posted the following statement to coincide with Ukrainian Independence Day: “Earlier this week, the entire Kalush Orchestra was together in Kyiv and witnessed a ‘parade’ of Russian equipment on the Maidan, Kyiv’s main square, which our Armed Forces turned into a pile of scrap metal.“It shows our strength, power and invincibility.