Ukrainians are knitting socks, donating scrap metal and even crowd-funding a tank to keep their woefully underfunded army going as its standoff with pro-Russian rebels in the east drags on towards the new year, Reuters reported. Since separatism erupted in Ukraine's east in April, the struggle to equip the army adequately has grown ever more acute as the country teeters on the edge of bankruptcy. Ukrainian citizens have stepped in, donating time or money to help the soldiers in a conflict that has so far killed more than 4,700 soldiers, rebels and civilians. -- SPA 21:56 LOCAL TIME 18:56 GMT تغريد