US overestimated value of military aid sent to Ukraine by billions of dollars

Washington DC - The United States has overestimated the value of military equipment sent to Ukraine by about $3 billion, the Department of Defense said on Thursday.

The US Defense Department found in an audit that it has overestimated the value of military aid sent to Ukraine by around $3 billion.
The US Defense Department found in an audit that it has overestimated the value of military aid sent to Ukraine by around $3 billion.  © Brendan Smialowski / AFP

During an audit, "inconsistencies" were found in valuations of equipment sent from the US since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the department said.

"In some cases, 'replacement cost' rather than 'net book value' was used, therefore overestimating the value of the equipment drawn down from U.S. stocks," a statement said.

"This over-valuation has not constrained our support to Ukraine nor impacted our ability to flow capabilities to the battlefield."

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The total value of US military aid sent to Ukraine since the beginning of the war was last put at $36.9 billion. This figure is now likely to be revised downwards.

Staff and members of the US Congress were informed of the adjustments on Thursday, US media reported.

US set to join other G7 countries in discussing Russia's invasion of Ukraine

The United States is considered Ukraine's most important ally in the struggle against the Russian invasion.

Russia's war against Ukraine will be one of the main topics at the G7 summit of leading industrial democracies in Hiroshima, Japan, which began on Friday.

The G7 includes the US, Germany, France, Italy, Britain, Canada and Japan, which currently holds the rotating chair. European Union leaders will also be at the meeting.

Cover photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP

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