It has been confirmed that locating over half of the weapons delivered by the United States to Ukraine has become a challenge. Observers suggest that securing additional support in the future may become more complicated, given the suspension of military aid to Ukraine.
Reports emerged that the US Department of Defense Inspector General, referencing a report, could not locate $1 billion worth of weapons, which amounts to 56% of the US’s $1.7 billion worth of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine.
The Department of Defense Inspector General report cited a failure to maintain an accurate list of serial numbers of the items delivered to Ukraine. This lapse was attributed to various factors, including a shortage of personnel, the implementation of final-use monitoring procedures in war zones only beginning in December 2022, restrictions on the movement of monitoring personnel within Ukraine, and a lack of internal control over inventory.
The Department of Defense Inspector General acknowledged that efforts had been made to enhance monitoring from the outset of support. Nonetheless, personnel limitations and responsibility issues hindered tracking the equipment thoroughly.
The unmonitored equipment primarily comprises smaller items such as portable missiles and drones. The Department of Defense Inspector General emphasized the necessity of final-use monitoring for the weapons provided to Ukraine, especially for equipment employing sensitive technology or having small dimensions that make them vulnerable to arms smuggling.
While the report did not definitively specify what was embezzled in this audit, it was noted that investigations into allegations of criminally misappropriated grants in Ukraine are ongoing. The possibility of arms smuggling is not ruled out.
Patrick Ryder, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense, addressed concerns about the use of Ukrainian weapons supplied by the United States, stating that there is no reliable evidence to suggest any illegal utilization of these weapons. However, the report highlighted a different aspect, noting that this audit undermines the Biden administration’s assurances regarding preventing the misuse of military aid in Ukraine over the past two years.
The report predicted that “President Joe Biden faces difficulties obtaining congressional approval for increased US military and financial support to the Ukrainian government in February 2022”. It noted that “the audit findings are likely to complicate Biden’s efforts.”
Last October, the Biden administration submitted a security budget to Congress, which included $61.4 billion in military support. However, due to political conflicts between the Democratic and Republican parties, it was not processed last year, making it challenging to provide extensive support to Ukraine.
As a result, the last military aid to Ukraine, which included $250 million worth of military supplies for air defense, parts for other air defense systems, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and more than 15 million rounds of ammunition, was cut off on December 27 of the previous year.
John Kirby, the National Security Council (NSC) Strategic Communications Coordinator at the White House, confirmed that support for Ukraine is not currently being provided.
VOA reported his statement, “The support we provided to Ukraine has now been suspended, and the attacks being carried out by Russia are increasing.”
Kirby stressed the heightened urgency for support during the winter season, stressing the necessity of prompt action. He further called on Congress to consider requests for national security supplements and to secure additional funding, highlighting the critical need for resources in addressing the current challenges.
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