Washington, D.C. – An accounting mishap at the Pentagon has resulted in a $6.2 billion overstatement of the value of weapons sent to Ukraine over the past two years, according to Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh.
The error occurred as military services mistakenly used replacement costs instead of the book value for the equipment supplied. However, this oversight now provides a surplus of funds for future security packages.
The discovery of this error comes as the fiscal year 2023 comes to a close, presenting the Pentagon with additional resources to support Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia. The United States has utilized presidential drawdown authority to expedite the delivery of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, allowing the Department of Defense to utilize existing supplies rather than going through the traditional procurement process.
According to reports by the Associated Press, previous estimates from June 13 had indicated that the U.S. had committed over $40 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion. However, with the revised calculation, the actual aid provided amounts to less than $34 billion.
Despite the accounting mistake, Singh reassured that the delivery of aid to Ukraine will not be impacted. The exact amount of available funds for drawdowns and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which funds long-term purchases such as larger air defense systems, remains uncertain.
U.S. officials have already approved approximately $11.3 billion divided into four funding rounds to support Ukraine’s resistance against Russia’s invasion, with a portion of the funds allocated for equipment restocking on the frontlines.
