The Department of Defense has been providing security aid to the Ukrainian military in order to arm them against Russian forces.
However, a recent report from an Inspector General shows that some of these weapons may have fallen into the wrong hands.
Russian organized crime groups, Ukrainian crooks, and unauthorized volunteer battalions are among those potentially benefiting from this security assistance.
This raises questions about how accountable the U.S. is for their weapons and what measures they have taken to ensure that they are not diverted away from their intended recipients.
A FOIA request submitted by Military.com found that between February 2022 and September of the same year, there were numerous instances where weapons provided by the DOD ended up with criminal or opposition elements instead of being used for its intended purpose – defending Ukraine against Russia’s aggression.
An “unspecified Russian official” was seen directing members to a volunteer fighting group using forged identity documents with “the perceived intent of…conduct[ing] destabilizing activities.”
Other examples included bullet-resistant vests being sold on the black market by a Ukrainian outlaw group posing as a humanitarian organization and 60 rifles as well as nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition stolen by members of a Ukrainian volunteer battalion which are likely now for sale on the black market too.
U.S forces could not determine where most weapons ended up once they were transferred from aircraft near the Ukrainian border according to audits conducted in October 2022 by IG inspectors who arrived in November last year when Biden announced comprehensive efforts to track security assistance more closely than before.
Even so, it appears that much effort is still needed in terms of ensuring end-use goals are met since millions worth of Stinger missiles, Javelin missiles, grenade launchers, C-4 explosives and other larger systems had already been sent prior without proper tracking mechanisms put in place.
It is clear that while US officials try their best to provide defensive arms aid for Ukraine’s fight against Russia, much accountability needs to be taken if we want our money’s worth out of these donations.
What remains unclear is what exact steps have been taken since then regarding diversion prevention?
