Pentagon made an accounting error. It overvalued Ukraine's weapons aid by $3 billion

The United States, among other Western nations, sent million-dollar worth of military aid to Ukraine to help in its fight against Russia in the ongoing war which began after Moscow launched a "special military" operation on February 24 last year.

But the Pentagon overestimated the value of the ammunition, missiles and other equipment it sent to Ukraine, news agency Reuters reported on Thursday citing a Senate aide and a defence official.

The source-based report stated that the Pentagon and State Department officials told congressional staff members on Thursday that the error-free and revised accounting frees up $3 billion worth of weapons — it means more weapons could be given from existing stocks to Ukraine for its defence against Russian forces.

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As quoted by the news agency, one of the senior defence officials said that "we've discovered inconsistencies in how we value the equipment that we've given" to Ukraine, the sources said that the officials and the Senate aide spoke on the condition of anonymity. The report mentioned that Congress is being notified of the accounting adjustment.

The defence official said that the amount of overestimated weaponry might exceed $3 billion as the Pentagon conducts a detailed probe. The top defence officials said as quoted that in its accounting, the Pentagon used replacement cost to value the aid of the weapon, instead of the weaponry's value when it was purchased and depreciated.

US Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: "The Department of Defense's change in evaluating the costs of arms sent to Ukraine is a major mistake."

"Its effect would be to underestimate future needs for our European allies. Our priority should be a Ukrainian victory over Putin. Unilaterally altering military aid calculations is an attempt at deception and undermines this goal," Wicker added.

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US aid to Ukraine

The US has sent precision weapons to Ukraine. Earlier this month, the US announced a new $1.2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine to boost the country's air defences and provide it with additional artillery ammunition.

At that time, the US Defense Department said in a statement that the package underscores the continued US commitment to Ukraine "by committing critical near-term capabilities, such as air defense systems and munitions, while also building the capacity of Ukraine's armed forces to defend its territory and deter Russian aggression over the long term."

The US has sent in 37 Presidential Drawdown Authority packages including High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers, Javelin anti-tank weapons and a Patriot surface-to-air missile system, and more.

One of the senior defence officials said that "the services - the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines - were using, the current replacement cost of the item".

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