During a press conference on February 23, Inspector General Storch said that Pentagon investigators are looking into possible signs of wrongdoing related to procurement, product substitution, theft, fraud or corruption, and misuse of products in aid to Ukraine, according to Bloomberg.
Artillery shells are packed for shipment at a factory in Pennsylvania, USA.
“We have not proven any allegations but that could change in the future,” Storch said, warning that there could be further investigations into the misuse or abuse of US equipment sent to Ukraine.
The Pentagon is leading the investigation, along with other government agencies, into the oversight of $113 billion in unspent aid to Ukraine.
Storch said the inspectors had found “gaps” in the delivery of aid, such as incomplete manifests for shipments to Ukraine via Poland. “As a result, Department of Defense personnel did not have the required visibility and accountability for all types of equipment during the transfer,” the auditors said in their June 2023 review.
Ukraine lost Bakhmut to Russia due to corruption
Among the issues under review, the Pentagon is reviewing the transfer of 155mm artillery shells to Ukraine to determine whether the United States is ensuring a balance between providing aid and maintaining domestic stockpiles and for training and operations.
The Pentagon's Office of Inspector General has more than 200 staff working on the Ukraine investigation and plans to increase the number of staff working in the Eastern European country from the current 28.
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