US did not properly track more than $1 billion worth of weapons sent to Ukraine, watchdog report finds

CNN —

The Pentagon did not properly track $1 billion worth of military equipment sent to Ukraine, according to a watchdog report released on Thursday.

The report from the Pentagon Inspector General says that while the Defense 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 it’s not possible to complete an inventory of everything sent.

Among the items that are designated for enhanced end-use monitoring (EEUM) are weapons like Javelin and Stinger missiles, night-vision devices, AIM-9X missiles, and Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles. According to the IG report, roughly $1.005 billion of the total $1.699 billion of equipment subject to end-use monitoring was not inventoried as of June 2023.

The new report comes at a critical moment for Ukraine aid, as Congress debates whether to authorize a supplemental package of more than $60 billion in aid amid significant Republican opposition. A failure to provide a new package could be damaging to Ukraine’s chances of winning the war after its counteroffensive against Russian forces stalled last year.

The report will likely buttress the stance of Republicans arguing against sending more aid.

Since December 2022, revisions to the inventory process for the Defense Department and Ukrainian Armed Forces resulted in an improvement to the Pentagon’s ability to track the weapons, the report says. But “significant personnel limitations and accountability challenges remain.”

“Until the DoD resolves these challenges, it will be unable to fully comply with the EEUM program requirements to account for all of the more than $1.699 billion in