The US Department of Defence failed to properly track more than $1 billion in shoulder-fired missiles, night-vision goggles, one-way attack drones, and a variety of sensitive equipment provided to Ukraine in its war against Russia, according to the Pentagon’s inspector general in a report released on 10th January.
According to the Pentagon Inspector General’s report, while the Defence Department has improved its ability to track military aid sent to Ukraine, it “did not fully comply” with requirements, and much of the equipment sent is “delinquent,” meaning that an inventory of everything sent is impossible to complete.
Weapons such as the Javelin and Stinger missiles, night-vision gadgets, AIM-9X missiles, and Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles are among the items designated for enhanced end-use monitoring (EEUM). According to the IG report, as of June 2023, approximately $1.005 billion of the total $1.699 billion of equipment subject to end-use monitoring had not been inventoried.
BREAKING: The New York Times reports that 'more than $1 billion worth of shoulder-fired missiles, kamikaze drones and night-vision devices that the United States has sent to Ukraine have not been properly tracked', according to a new Pentagon report, with concerns 'they could be…
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) January 11, 2024
“The DoD did not fully comply with the EEUM program requirements to account for EEUM‑designated defense articles in Ukraine. As of June 2, 2023, $1.005 billion, or 59 percent of the more than $1.699 billion, of EEUM‑designated defense articles was delinquent for a required serial number inventory,” the DoDIG’s report reads.
According to the report, revisions to the Defence Department’s and Ukrainian Armed Forces’ inventory processes have resulted in an improvement in the Pentagon’s ability to track the weapons since December 2022. Despite this, “significant personnel limitations and accountability challenges remain.”
The specific number of weapons designated delinquent is undetermined however the report stated that “high rates of delinquency may correlate with an inability to maintain complete accountability of the EEUM-designating defence articles, which, in turn, may increase the risk of theft or diversion.”
According to the report, obtaining a “complete picture” of EEUM-designated weapons in Ukraine “will be difficult as the inventory continues to change,” and “accuracy and completeness will likely only become more difficult over time as the total number of EEUM-designated defence articles in Ukraine continues to change.”
Media reports say that the DoDIG report’s observations, which raise concerns about the US’ ability to ensure that its weapons are not stolen, were made public at an inconvenient time for the Biden administration. As the United States’ existing aid to Ukraine runs out, the president and other top officials have encouraged Congress to authorise a substantial package of extra military aid to Kyiv worth $60 Billion immediately as any further delay might damage Ukraine’s prospects of winning against Russia. However, the debate has stagnated as Republicans seek radical changes to the country’s border policies.
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine in February 2022, the United States has provided more than $44 billion in military aid to the country. The report by the Defence Department’s inspector general comes as Republicans in Congress are opposing further funding to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, senior Pentagon and State Department officials dismissed the report, claiming that, while real-time tracking of military aid was impossible during wartime, they had devised alternative methods for Ukrainians to account for the equipment and weaponry and were satisfied that they were tracking the assistance sufficiently.
“To date, there is no evidence of unauthorized or illicit transfer … outside of Ukraine. A lack of a full accounting does not preclude the US government from reasonably concluding Ukraine is in compliance with US government requirements with respect to use, transfer, and security of the items it has received,” acting undersecretary of defence for policy Alexandra N. Baker wrote in an answer included in the report.
Furthermore, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder stated on January 11th that there is “no credible evidence of illicit diversion of US-provided advanced conventional weapons from Ukraine.”
“We do see some instances of Russia continuing to spread disinformation to the contrary, but the fact is, as we observe the Ukrainians employing these capabilities on the battlefield, we’re seeing them use them effectively for all the obvious reasons, in that Russia continues to present a significant threat to Ukraine’s sovereignty,” Ryder said.
Interestingly, this is not the first time that the US Department of Defence, one of the most well-funded federal entities, has fallen short of keeping track of weapons and equipment sent to other countries. Previously, the same thing happened while tracking US military aid to countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, and Yemen.
According to a previously released Defence Department review obtained by Amnesty International in 2017, the US military failed to adequately oversee more than $1 billion in weaponry transactions in Iraq and Kuwait.
As per reports, the US Government Accountability Office discovered in 2009 that the Pentagon had failed to track thousands of weapons provided to Afghan security forces. According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon was unable to account for more than $500 million in military aid supplied to Yemen in 2015. And, for the sixth year in a row, the Pentagon failed an annual audit of its accounting procedures.
Ever since USA started supplying weapons to Ukraine, there have been concerns over illegal trading, and the weapons ending up in the black market.
