The Pentagon has halted shipments of air defense missiles and other precision munitions to Ukraine over concerns that U.S. weapons stockpiles are too low.
The decision was led by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby and came after a review of Pentagon munitions stockpiles, which raised concerns that the total number of artillery shells, air defense missiles and precision munitions had been reduced, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The initial decision to hold up some aid promised during the Biden administration came in early June, according to the people, but it takes effect now that Ukraine has repelled some of the largest Russian missile and drone attacks on civilian targets in Kiev and elsewhere.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the current operations. The Pentagon and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Russia launched its largest airstrike on Ukraine since the start of the three-year war over the weekend, reportedly using 477 drones and dummy missiles and 60 missiles. Of those, 249 were reported downed and 226 were lost, likely electronically jammed.
The Pentagon’s move to halt some shipments has stoked fears among Ukraine’s allies in Congress that the country will be vulnerable to further Russian airstrikes.
The munitions are a mix of air defense and precision weapons that have been flowing to Ukraine for more than two years. The weapons are a mix of two different streams of U.S. support for Ukraine, both under the Biden administration. Some come from drawing down existing stockpiles, and DOD is getting money to replenish those munitions as quickly as possible. The second comes from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, through which the U.S. funds the purchase of weapons for Ukraine from American defense firms. The money was used to secure arms contracts for the Ukrainian government.
All of the money in the fund is committed through the end of the Biden administration, with deliveries to be made when the systems are ready. The drawdowns continued under the Trump administration, which used the last of a $61 billion fund to replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles and provide billions of dollars in aid to Israel and other partners.
The Trump administration has not requested more aid, but the Biden administration has left Ukraine with enough money to last several more months, according to an administration official.
Source: Musitem Haber
