Report: Pentagon overestimated the value of weapons it sent to Ukraine over the last two years

A Pentagon spokesperson announced on Tuesday that there was an overestimation of the value of weapons sent to Ukraine in the past two years, amounting to a staggering $6.2 billion. The error occurred because military officials considered the replacement cost rather than the book value of the weapons when they were taken from Pentagon stocks for delivery to Ukraine.

As a result of this adjustment, there is now a surplus in American funds, which the administration plans to utilize in future security packages to support Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia. Out of the $6.2 billion, the error accounts for $3.6 billion in the current fiscal year and $2.6 billion in the previous year, ending in September 2022.

According to the Pentagon spokesperson, the surplus will be reallocated to the funds reserved for future Pentagon stock drawdowns.

In the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive against Russia’s occupying forces in an attempt to regain control of territories that have been under Russian control since the full-scale invasion in February 2022. However, Ukrainian forces are facing challenges such as heavily mined areas and fortified defenses.

At the same time, Russia has intensified its assault on the Kyiv region by deploying Shahed exploding drones. This has revealed vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s air defense system, which has been engaged in warfare for approximately 16 months. Ukrainian officials reported successfully intercepting and destroying 32 out of 35 drones launched by Russia on Tuesday.

Initially, on June 13, the US had pledged over $40 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. However, with the revised calculation, it appears that the actual amount of aid provided by the US is less than $34 billion. Determining the exact remaining funds available for drawdowns or the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which supports the procurement of various weapons, including larger air defense systems, is challenging for officials.

In response to Russia’s invasion, the US has approved four rounds of aid to Ukraine, totaling approximately $113 billion. Some of this financial support has been allocated to replenishing US military equipment deployed to the frontlines.