Pentagon report: Part of the weapons provided by the West were stolen in Ukraine

The report of the inspector general of the US Department of Defense states that some of the weapons and equipment provided to Ukraine by the West were stolen by criminals last year. Ukrainian special services exposed conspiracies.

CNN writes about it.

Last year, the Pentagonʼs ability to track and control all US equipment entering Ukraine was challenged by the limited US presence in the country. It was possible to resume inspections only at the end of October 2022. The US Department of Defense also provided the Ukrainians with tracking systems, including scanners and software.

The Office of Defense Cooperation also asked the Ukrainian government to provide reports on the cost, loss and damage of US-provided equipment, and they "made efforts to prevent the illicit proliferation of defense materials," according to the report.

However, in June 2022, an organized crime group led by an unidentified Russian official joined the volunteer battalion using forged documents and stole weapons, including a grenade launcher, a machine gun and more than 1 000 rounds of ammunition. Criminals were exposed by intelligence.

In the same month, the special services of Ukraine revealed a conspiracy of arms dealers who stole weapons on the front line in southern Ukraine, as well as a conspiracy of criminals who posed as humanitarian workers and stole $17 000 worth of body armor.

And in August 2022, Ukrainian special services exposed a group of volunteer battalion fighters who stole 60 rifles and nearly 1 000 rounds of ammunition and stored them in a warehouse — "probably for sale on the black market."

• The Pentagon stated that now Western partners will concentrate not on supplies, but on the repair of military equipment sent to Ukraine.
• Meanwhile, supplies of equipment to Ukraine continue. On July 19, the USA announced the provision of $1.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine.