Pentagon is following more than 50 investigations into irregularities in the shipment of weapons to Ukraine

Published at: 24/02/2024 09:29 PM

Pentagon researchers have opened more than 50 criminal investigations into “acquisition fraud, product substitution, theft, fraud or corruption, and diversion” of aid provided by the United States to Ukraine, the agency's inspector general, Robert Storch, quoted by the agency RT.

“We haven't corroborated any of these allegations, although it's possible that this will change in the future,” Storch said, adding that all cases are in different phases. According to the inspector general, taking into account “the quantity and speed” of arms supplies to the Kiev regime, it is expected that there will be more investigations into fraud with US equipment.

Currently, more than 200 specialists from the office headed by Storch work overseeing shipments to Ukraine, two of whom work from the U.S. Embassy in Kiev.

In addition to a series of crimes related to weapons supplied to the Ukrainian Army, investigators will have to determine if Washington, by supplying weapons to Kiev, has been able to balance its reserves allocated both to troop training and to current and future operations.

Experts from the Department of Defense, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development are also continuing to monitor what the approximately $113 billion provided to Ukraine has been spent on.

At the same time, “gaps” have already been detected in arms declarations, in particular during the transfer of shipments from Poland to Ukraine, given that Pentagon personnel “did not have the necessary visibility and responsibility for all types of equipment during the transfer process,” the conclusions drawn in June say.

DRAFTING: MAZO /RT