Over 40,000 U.S. Department of Defense Ukraine-supported portable missile drone sights ‘missing’
The Pentagon's report to Congress on the investigation into Ukraine's arms supply management included possible trafficking of about 40,000 weapons.
A new Pentagon report concludes that more than $100 million worth of shoulder-launched missiles, kamikaze drones and night vision goggles sent by the United States to Ukraine were not properly tracked by U.S. officials, the New York Times reported on the 12th, which obtained the report.
The Pentagon's investigative report is the first to describe some of the most sensitive tools of U.S. military power rushed to Ukraine in the two years since the Ukrainian war broke out.
The NYT said, “At the time, as concerns grew that the flood of weapons would inevitably lead to arms trafficking, lawmakers called for stricter oversight of the shipments,” adding, “Congress was debating whether to send more military aid to Ukraine.” “It raised concerns that it could be stolen or smuggled at any given time,” he said.
The U.S. Department of Defense Inspector General's report was submitted to Congress on the 11th, and the NYT, which obtained it, said, "U.S. defense officials and diplomats in Washington and Europe say cash is attractive to arms smugglers because of its impact on the battlefield, sensitive technology, and relatively small size." “We found that many of the nearly 40,000 weapons that should have been closely monitored under the law were not quickly or fully accounted for,” he said. “There is evidence that these weapons were misused after being shipped to U.S. military logistics hubs in Poland or sent to the front lines in Ukraine. “It was not presented,” he said.
The report did not detail exactly how many of the 39,0139 high-risk items provided to Ukraine were considered "delinquent" (records missing), but put the potential losses at about $110 million out of a total of $690 million worth of weapons sent in aid. It was estimated as
As of last October, the most recent data, the United States had provided Ukraine with Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger surface-to-air missiles, about 430 kamikaze switchblade drones, 23 medium-range air-to-air missiles, night vision goggles, etc., and Javelin and Stinger launches for stockpiling after missile launches. Even parts were provided.
The report found that as of October of last year, 60 percent of the weapons and equipment provided were "overdue records", not cataloged in databases designed to track weapons and equipment, and missing additional records after being transferred from U.S. or coalition stockpiles. Confirmed.
Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Alexandra N. Baker said in response to the report, “There are not enough Department of Defense staff at the U.S. Embassy in Kiev to easily track the most sensitive weapons and equipment,” adding, “The total number of items currently in Ukraine has increased to more than 500,000.” “I’m doing it,” he said.
“The accounting procedures required are not practical in a dynamic and hostile wartime environment,” he told the NYT about weapons management.
Reporting requirements for Ukraine-delivered weapons were suspended when the U.S. embassy in Kiev was withdrawn before the Russian invasion in 2022, and did not resume until the embassy reopened.
The NYT said, “U.S. Pentagon and State Department officials and other experts have long argued that it is nearly impossible to account for each and every one of the thousands of weapons sent to Ukraine,” adding, “The chaos of the fighting, the dangers of battlefield travel, and the logistics of Washington, Kiev and Poland. "Although staff shortages at the hub have hampered close surveillance, officials insist there have been no signs of large-scale arms smuggling or mishandling since the war began," it said.
Regarding how U.S. weapons delivered to Ukraine are managed, Inspector General of Defense Skott said, “At the end of 2022, the Ukrainian military will be provided with handheld barcode scanners to immediately transfer the serial numbers of advanced weapons to U.S. databases, making the process easier.” said.
NYT said, “This new procedure is part of the Biden administration’s decision to give Ukraine more authority to self-report how it is acquiring weapons,” and “The Pentagon report shows that realistically, the scanners provided to the Ukrainian military are limited to 10 scanners.” He pointed out, “It’s just that, and the scanner is not on the front line.”