WASHINGTON —The Pentagon has acknowledged that it made a significant accounting error, overestimating the value of weapons sent to Ukraine by $6.2 billion over the past two years.
This surplus will now be used for future security packages to support Ukraine's efforts against Russia. The error occurred due to the military services using replacement costs instead of the book value of equipment taken from Pentagon stocks. The correction provides the department with extra funds as the fiscal year concludes and congressional funding diminishes.
Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh explained that the error occurred because the military services used replacement costs instead of the book value of the equipment. The additional funds will be allocated for future Pentagon stock drawdowns.
In the midst of Ukraine's counteroffensive, which aims to reclaim occupied territory, they are facing challenges such as heavily mined terrain and reinforced defensive fortifications. Russia has been launching Shahed exploding drones in the Kyiv region, revealing gaps in Ukraine's air defense capabilities. Despite this, Ukrainian forces successfully downed the majority of the drones launched by Russia.
The Pentagon has used presidential drawdown authority to quickly provide weapons and equipment to Ukraine, bypassing the usual purchase process. Previous estimates indicated that the US had committed over $40 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, but a new calculation reveals that the actual amount is less than $34 billion.
The exact remaining funds for drawdowns and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which supports long-term weapon purchases, are unknown. Congress has approved multiple rounds of aid to Ukraine, totaling approximately $113 billion, with some funds used to replenish US military equipment sent to the frontlines.
The Biden administration has expressed its commitment to supporting Ukraine in repelling Russian forces. However, there are concerns about the costs of an ongoing war and the need to ensure aid is properly monitored and utilized. The accounting mistake does not impact the ongoing delivery of aid to Ukraine.