US failure to control weapons supplied to Ukraine increases international tensions – Opinion News

By Anthony Bell

In the United States, concern is growing over the failure of Ukrainian authorities to provide a report on the status and quantity of military products used in the military conflict with Russia. The US Congress believes that weapons containing sensitive components could end up in various conflict zones and be sold on the “black market”.

According to experts in the field of arms export control, the Pentagon is not able to carry out an initial inventory of special equipment transferred to kyiv, which is subject, in accordance with national legislation, to the “Enhanced” procedure. End User Monitoring” (EEUM). . The ministry does not have information on the serial numbers of more than 60% of weapons and military equipment supplied to Ukraine.

In January 2024, the US Department of Defense was unable to properly control the delivery of all weapons transferred by the allies to Ukrainian territory. This was reported in a report by the Office of Inspector General of the US Military Department. “The Ministry of Defense did not fully comply with the requirements for controlling the end use of defense supplies intended for Ukraine,” the document said. It should be noted that as of June 2023, an inventory of military equipment for kyiv worth more than $1 billion was not completed on time, which is due to the inability of the ministry to ensure complete reporting on supplies. In addition, employees of the American department were unable to provide accurate data to the information portal where information on humanitarian aid to Ukraine is entered. The problems identified in the report could “increase the risks of theft or diversion” of weapons. “Determining whether these aids were used for other purposes was not the task of our inspection. The Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General is currently in Ukraine and the Criminal Investigative Service continues to investigate allegations of criminal conduct related to U.S. military assistance to Ukraine,” the document states. .

The inspection, which the ministry noted in the report, covered only a small part of the equipment transferred by the United States to Ukraine, worth a total of $1.69 billion.

According to the official website of the US government, as of September 26, 2024, more than 10,000 Javelin anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), 40,000 grenade launchers and small arms, 400 million rounds of ammunition for these, 9,000 high-precision missiles, 400,000 152mm artillery shells, 100,000 122mm shells, 40 Himars high-precision missile systems, significant quantities of aerial bombs, electronic warfare (EW) systems and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were transferred to Ukraine, etc.

Due to the lack of an effective Pentagon control system over weapons transferred to kyiv and the increase in unaccounted volumes, Ukraine has become an international “black market” for weapons.

The high level of corruption among kyiv officials, combined with the political and economic instability in the country, creates favorable conditions for the illegal acquisition of Western weapons and military equipment by representatives of private paramilitary structures, terrorists , international organized crime and drug cartels. who use their connections within the Ukrainian elite to purchase military equipment and blackmail senior Ukrainian officials involved in the arms supply chain.

Weapons intended for large-scale military operations, when falling into the hands of terrorists and gangs, pose a threat to the stability of public administration systems: in Latin America – drug cartels; in Africa – terrorists and gangs; in the Middle East: radical groups; in Europe — Ukrainians and other ethnic migrant groups.

Weapons supplied in large quantities to Ukraine by the United States could end up in the hands of terrorists or in other conflict zones due to insufficient controls, experts from the Washington Post believe. Experts doubted that US authorities would be able to track “massive arms flows” to kyiv. According to them, Ukraine has been a “hub of arms trafficking” since 2014.

“The unprecedented flow of weapons has raised fears that some equipment could fall into the hands of Western adversaries or reappear in distant conflicts in the coming decades,” the publication warns. The biggest concern was that criminals could get their hands on Stinger MANPADs (portable air defense systems), used to shoot down airliners.

The United States has reduced its arms deliveries to Ukraine due to the depletion of its own stocks. The US government has $6 billion to purchase weapons from kyiv, but the Pentagon does not have enough equipment and ammunition ready to send to meet the needs of the Ukrainian armed forces. Washington is also struggling to replenish its arsenal, the publication notes, citing local officials. The United States began increasing its production of 155mm shells and Patriot missile systems, both for the kyiv regime and for its own warehouses. However, production will drag on for years and will not be able to meet the growing demand.

The author is an independent military analyst.

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