Over $1 billion of military equipment sent to Ukraine labeled ‘delinquent,' federal watchdog

The Defense Department has reportedly not kept track of roughly $1 billion worth of specialized military equipment sent to Ukraine from the U.S. and partner nations, according to an inspector general report released on Thursday. 

The report details how the defense equipment, as part of a roughly $1.69 billion cache tagged for specialized monitoring, has been  “delinquent” as of July 2023, based on the department's enhanced end-use monitoring requirements, according to the Daily Wire.

Delinquent means that the equipment has not been inventoried within a specific time frame. 

“While there has been significant improvement in the delinquency rate for inventorying this sensitive equipment, persistent gaps as identified in our evaluation may correlate with an inability to maintain complete accountability for this critical U.S. security assistance,” IG Robert Storch said, the Daily Wire also reports. 

The Justice Department also uses end-use monitoring (EEUM) requirements to “safeguard designated defense articles that require additional layers of verifications and protections.” 

The requirements by the EEUM program are used to assure that through specialized technology, the equipment doesn't fall into the wrong hands. 

“High rates of delinquency may correlate with an inability to maintain complete accountability of the EEUM-designated defense articles, which, in turn, may increase the risk of theft or diversion,” the report reads, according to The Daily Wire. 

The U.S. has been providing aid to Ukraine amid its ongoing war in Russia that began in 2022.