US Cannot Track Arms Aid Worth IDR 1 Trillion Sent to Ukraine

WASHINGTON – Department of Defense United States of America (US) could not find weapons worth USD62.2 million (more than Rp1 trillion) that were given to Ukraine.

That conclusion was conveyed by the Pentagon Inspector General in a report assessing whether the Department of Defense effectively monitored weapons provided to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The watchdog found that by the end of November last year, a total of USD62.2 million worth of hardware was destined for enhanced end-use monitoring (EEUM) were reported missing. Among them were night vision devices, Javelin anti-tank missiles, and missile launch units.

The U.S. Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) in Ukraine could not distinguish between what was lost and what was destroyed, the watchdog’s report said, adding that the Ukrainian military has not provided any clarification.

The ODC works with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces to provide equipment and training to Kyiv in its fight against Russia. The Ukrainian military reports to the ODC on the use of American-supplied equipment.

The Pentagon’s Office of Inspector General also found that loss reports were filed after an average of 301 days, roughly 10 times longer than the required time period.

“This increases the risk that the Department of Defense could lose accountability for the defense provisions of the EEUM provided to Ukraine,” the report said, citing Russia TodayFriday (28/6/2024).

The report noted that it was beyond the scope of the investigation to determine whether there had been any “diversion” of military aid. Allegations of criminal wrongdoing related to US weapons sent to Ukraine are being investigated, the watchdog reported.

In January, the watchdog reported that the Pentagon had failed to properly track $1 billion in military supplies given to Ukraine, and that much of the equipment sent was “rogue.”

Between February 2022 and June this year, Washington provided approximately $51.2 billion in military aid to Ukraine, including air defense systems and ammunition, anti-aircraft missiles, artillery rockets, anti-armor systems, tanks and helicopters.

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