US overestimated value of weapons sent to Ukraine by $6.2 billion: Pentagon

Washington DC, USA

A spokesperson for the Pentagon said Tuesday that it overestimated the value of weapons it sent to Ukraine over the last two years by a whopping $6.2 billion. Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s spokeswoman revealed that the accounting error took place as military officials took into account the replacement cost rather than the book value of the weapons pulled from the Pentagon stocks to be delivered to the war-torn nation.

This adjustment has now led to a surplus in American coffers which the administration plans to use in future security packages meant to shore up Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia. Of $6.2 billion, there was an error of $3.6 billion in the current fiscal year and $2.6 billion in the previous year ending September 2022.

“It’s just going to go back into the pot of money that we have allocated for the future Pentagon stock drawdowns,” the spokeswoman said.

Ukraine’s new counter-offensive against Russia

In the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, new developments have emerged as Ukraine launches a counteroffensive against the Kremlin's occupying forces. This move aims to reclaim the territory that has been under Russian control since the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

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However, Ukrainian forces are encountering challenges such as heavily mined areas and fortified defences, as stated by Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces.

Russia’s assault on Ukraine

Simultaneously, Russia has intensified its assault on the Kyiv region by deploying numerous Shahed exploding drones. This attack has exposed vulnerabilities in the air defence system of Ukraine, which has been engaged in warfare for nearly 16 months. Ukrainian officials reported that they successfully intercepted and destroyed 32 out of the 35 drones launched by Russia early on Tuesday.

USA’s military aid to Ukraine so far

Initially estimated on June 13, the US had pledged over $40 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. However, with the new calculation, it appears that the actual amount of aid provided by the US is less than $34 billion.

It is difficult for officials to determine the exact remaining funds available for drawdowns or the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which offers long-term funding for the procurement of various weapons, including larger air defence systems.

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