Ukraine war aid: Pentagon missing weapons

Pentagon to monitor US arms sales to Ukraine It has now been revealed that the location of several weapons is unknown.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Defense appears to have failed to adequately monitor the shipment of more than a billion dollars' worth of weapons to Ukraine in recent months. As an internal Pentagon report showed on Wednesday (January 10), the responsible US officials did not properly document the transit through Poland, so the location of the large number of weapons was not officially clarified. The release falls precisely at a point when the US actually wants to discuss new arms supplies to Ukraine.

According to the report, U.S. law requires sensitive technology and small arms to be carefully monitored when they are transported because they are more attractive to gun smugglers. Some 40,000 weapons worth $1.7 billion were delivered to Kiev. This includes approximately 10,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles, 2,500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles, approximately 750 Kamikaze Switchblade drones and 430 medium-range air-to-air missiles.

Arms Delivery to Ukraine: Pentagon Knows No Where to 59 Percent of Weapons

“Given their sensitivity, vulnerability to diversion or abuse, and the resulting consequences, it is critical that these additional controls and accountability are maintained,” said Pentagon Inspector General Robert P. Storch confirmed. The New York Times Thursday. Storch previously published a partially redacted version of the report. According to the results of the report, reliable information about the whereabouts of 59 percent of the weapons to be verified cannot be provided.

There is no evidence that weapons were lost en route to a US military logistics center in Poland and then to the frontline in Ukraine. However, potential misuse for illegal purposes was not specifically investigated because it “could not be determined as part of our assessment,” the report said.

Confusion on the Frontlines, Understaffing: Why the Pentagon Fails to Document Billions in Weapons

Reasons for inadequate controls include a limited workforce and end-use control regulations introduced only in December 2022. In addition, US officials can only go to a limited extent in the Ukrainian war zone. This makes it difficult to accurately verify that weapons have actually reached the front.

The report's findings could intensify discussions about more military aid to Ukraine. US President Joe Biden is currently trying to get approval for more financial and military aid. But there is a difference of opinion in Congress. The United States has so far been Ukraine's biggest supporter in its fight against Russia. But supplies from the West have been declining for months. Western experts warn that without adequate help from the West, the Ukrainian armed forces will lose the war against Russia. (nz)