Certainly not the first case of combatants receiving financial aid from outside interested parties, but probably the first case of it being done through crowdfunding....
Quote
With Ukraine's army coming under increasing pressure in its battle to keep pro-Russian forces at bay, supporters have turned to crowdfunding in a bid to build a drone designed to offer assistance to its troops on the front line.
According to a Guardian report Sunday, the web-based "people's drone" campaign hit its $35,000 target after receiving donations from nearly a thousand sympathizers.
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2014/06/30/crowdfunding-helps-ukrainians-build-peoples-drone-to-aid-poorly-resourced-army/