Along with other Western countries, the United States provided Ukraine with military assistance totaling $1,000,000 to aid it in its ongoing conflict with Russia, which got underway after Moscow launched a “special military” operation on February 24 of last year.
However, according to a Senate aide and a defense source quoted by the news agency Reuters on Thursday, the Pentagon overstated the worth of the ammunition, missiles, and other equipment it provided to Ukraine.
According to the source-based report, Pentagon and State Department officials informed congressional staff members on Thursday that the error-free and revised accounting frees up $3 billion worth of weapons, meaning that more weapons could be given to Ukraine for its defense against Russian forces from existing stocks.
“We’ve discovered inconsistencies in how we value the equipment that we’ve given” to Ukraine
One of the top defense officials was reported by the news agency as saying, “We’ve discovered inconsistencies in how we value the equipment that we’ve given” to Ukraine. According to the sources, the officials and the Senate aide spoke on the condition of anonymity. Congress is being informed of the accounting adjustment, according to the article.
According to the defense official, as the Pentagon performs a thorough investigation, the amount of exaggerated armament may approach $3 billion. Top defense officials were quoted as saying that the Pentagon valued weapons at replacement cost rather than their original cost after depreciation in its accounting.
US Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: “The Department of Defense’s change in evaluating the costs of arms sent to Ukraine is a major mistake.”
“Its effect would be to underestimate future needs for our European allies. Our priority should be a Ukrainian victory over Putin. Unilaterally altering military aid calculations is an attempt at deception and undermines this goal,” Wicker added.
The US announced earlier this month a fresh $1.2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine
The US has handed Ukraine high-tech weapons. The US announced earlier this month a fresh $1.2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine to strengthen the nation’s air defenses and give it more artillery ammunition.
At the time, the US Defense Department said in a statement that the package underscores the US commitment to Ukraine “by committing critical near-term capabilities, such as air defense systems and munitions, while also building the capacity of Ukraine’s armed forces to defend its territory and deter Russian aggression over the long term.”Â
A Patriot surface-to-air missile system, High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers, Javelin anti-tank missiles, and other items are among the 37 packages the US provided under the Presidential Drawdown Authority.
Senior defense officials stated that the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines were using the item’s current replacement cost.
