No Evidence US Weapons Being Diverted, Misused by Ukraine: Pentagon

Ukrainian service members are shown with an infantry fighting vehicle near the frontline town of Bakhmut, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in the Donetsk region on Feb. 25, 2023. Yan Dobronosov/Reuters

Defense Department officials assured members of Congress on Feb. 28, that there was no evidence to suggest the misuse or diversion of weapons the United States had provided to aid Ukraine in its war with Russia.

“The U.S. government has not seen credible evidence of any diversion of U.S. provided weapons outside of Ukraine,” noted Celeste Wallander, assistant secretary of defense for International Security Affairs, at a hearing of the Defense Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.

Wallander’s statement echoed remarks made earlier in the day by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl at an oversight hearing of the House Armed Services Committee, during which he stressed that the Defense Department had seen “no signs of diversion or that the Ukrainians are not following procedure.”

Adding that Russian soldiers may have captured equipment on the battlefield, Kahl continued: “This is an active war zone. There are always going to be things that you don’t know are happening or you don’t see. But we are not seeing any evidence of systemic diversion of the equipment that the United States has provided.”

Aid Under Scrutiny

The officials’ comments come amid a bipartisan push on Capitol Hill for increased oversight of the spending of billions of dollars in aid the United States has provided to Ukraine over the past year.

“American taxpayers deserve to know that their money is helping Ukraine defeat Putin effectively, and Congress needs to guarantee that oversight,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) noted Tuesday while introducing legislation to establish a special inspector general to ensure that funds provided to Ukraine are “appropriately spent.”

The bill (pdf) would equip the special inspector general with $20 million of the funds already set aside for Ukraine to conduct oversight. The bill also includes a clause that would terminate the position once appropriations for Ukraine drop below $250 million per year.

The legislation is co-sponsored by Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.).

“The United States continues to stand with the people of Ukraine, and by establishing a Special Inspector General for Ukrainian Assistance, we ensure accountability for Americans and Ukrainians as they defend their homes and freedoms from Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war,” Sinema said.

Following President Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine on Feb. 20, the administration announced additional actions it would be taking to support the war-torn nation and “hold Russia accountable” on Friday, including providing an additional $2 billion in military aid and imposing new sanctions and tariffs on Russia.

“The United States will continue to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements for as long as it takes,” the Defense Department said in a statement.