Pentagon's $62M Blunder: Weapons Aid to Ukraine Vanishes!

A recent Department of Defense (DOD) report revealed that $62 million worth of United States weapons aid to Ukraine has gone unaccounted for. According to the DOD Office of Inspector General (OIG) report released on June 26, the department was unable to trace the artillery intended for Ukraine to combat Russia. The weapons, designated for end-use monitoring (EEUM), were unaccounted for due to lapses in reporting and tracking by both U.S. and Ukrainian forces.

The OIG report highlighted that the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) Ukraine did not consistently obtain timely or complete loss reports as per the Security Assistance Management Manual, the Concept of Operation (CONOP), and the EEUM control plan submission standards. It noted that the average time from initial defense article loss to final loss report was approximately ten times longer than required.

The inconsistencies in reporting timelines and information requirements, inadequate guidance for partner nation self-reporting, and insufficient time for the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) to investigate EEUM losses contributed to the issue. The absence of timely and complete loss reports, along with a lack of thorough analysis, hindered the Pentagon’s ability to detect potential violations involving EEUM-designated defense articles.

While the report could not confirm whether U.S. weapons assistance had been diverted, the OIG continues to investigate allegations of criminal conduct regarding U.S. security assistance to Ukraine. An earlier investigation revealed that U.S. defense and diplomatic officials had improperly tracked more than $1 billion in weapons aid, representing about 69 percent of the $1.6 billion allocated for end-use tracking.

Given that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky relies heavily on Western allies for military support, the U.S. has sent over $51.2 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since the onset of the war with Russia in 2022. Despite these issues, the Biden administration continues to provide aid, with plans to send $150 million worth of weapons and ammunition in the next aid package. This includes HAWK interceptors and 155-millimeter artillery munitions.

The U.S. began shipping HAWK interceptor missiles to Ukraine in 2022 to upgrade their air defense systems. The package will come from the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the president to quickly transfer defense articles and services from U.S. stocks to support allies.

Meanwhile, Ukraine plans to release convicts, excluding those convicted of severe crimes like rape or murder, in exchange for their service in the war against Russia. Journalists from the Associated Press reported that several convicts in a rural penal colony in southeast Ukraine were offered parole in exchange for military service. This move aims to strengthen Ukraine's armed forces amidst mounting losses and battlefield shortages.