We Have Surplus Money For More Security Packages For Ukraine – US Defence

United States of America, USA Department of Defence on Tuesday admitted error of overestimating the total monies in value of military equipments spent so far in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Pentagon spokesperson, Sabrina Singh while speaking with reporters on Tuesday, said the Department of Defence still has surplus money to provide future military aid to Ukraine as the war torn country prepared for counteroffensive attacks against Russia.

Sabrina Singh said the accounting error was as a result of military services using replacement costs instead of the book value of equipment sent to Ukraine.

The Pentagon revealed that its accounting error overvalued the military aid it has provided to Ukraine over the course of the 16 months war by a total of $6.2 billion. Adding, it overstated the expenses with $3.6 billion in Financial year of 2023 and $2.6 billion in Financial year of 2022.

“These valuation errors in no way limit or restricted the size of any of our (presidential drawdown authority packages) or impacted the provision of support to Ukraine”, Sabrina said.

The Defence Department said, as a result of the accounting error resulted in an overestimation of the value of weapons being sent to Ukraine by $6.2 billion over the last two years, there is a surplus of money available for future security packages.

According to Fox News and Associated Press, Sabrina Singh said the final calculation showed that in the current fiscal year, there was an error of $3.6 billion, and in 2022 there was an error of $2.6 billion.

It is observed that the discovery comes as fiscal year 2023 nears an end, and it allows the Pentagon to have an extra stash of money to support Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia

“To get weapons and ammunition to Ukraine quicker than going through the purchase process, the Department of Defense uses what is called presidential drawdown authority, allowing them to pull supplies off the shelves, or in stock.

“The Associated Press reported that previous estimates from June 13 showed the U.S. committed over $40 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, but using the new calculation, the U.S. provided less than $34 billion in aid.

“As for the exact amount of money available for drawdowns and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, officials have not been able to provide a firm number.

“The Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative provides long-term funding for purchases like larger air defense systems.

“U.S. officials have approved about $113 billion, divided into four rounds of funding, to aid Ukraine with fending off Russia’s invasion, and some of that money is for restocking equipment sent to the frontlines”, Fox News reported.

It was gathered that Ukrainian forces are planning to strike Russia’s non-conflict zones with western-made Storm Shadow missiles and HIMARS rockets, according to the Russian defense ministry, that says the move would vastly escalate NATO’s involvement in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, a Serviceman, Andrey Kravtsov, who reportedly destroyed the first Leopard tank in Ukraine, was awarded a cash prize of 1 million rubles by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The Leopard Tanks were made and supplied to Ukraine by Germany.

The Russia Defence Ministry showed a video of Russia’s Ka-52 Alligator Helicopter destroyed tanks in area said to be Donetsk region.