Watchdog report finds US mistracked $1 billion in weapons sent to Ukraine

The Pentagon failed to track $1 billion in military equipment sent to Ukraine, a Thursday watchdog report found.

The Pentagon Inspector General found 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,” making it impossible to inventory.

Javelin and Stinger missiles, night-vision devices, AIM-9X missiles, and Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles are EEUM items. As of June 2023, the IG report found $1.005 billion of the $1.699 billion of end-use-monitored equipment unaccounted for.

The report says Defense Department and Ukrainian Armed Forces inventory process revisions since December 2022 have improved the Pentagon's weapon tracking. However, “significant personnel limitations and accountability challenges remain.”

Later Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said there is “no credible evidence of illicit diversion of US-provided advanced conventional weapons from Ukraine.”

“We see some instances of Russia continuing to spread disinformation to the contrary, but we observe the Ukrainians using these capabilities on the battlefield,” Ryder said. “They’re using them effectively, for all the obvious reasons in that Russia continues to threaten Ukraine’s sovereignty.”