Pentagon accounting error: $6.2 billion extra to help Ukraine

An accounting error at the Pentagon caused the Department of Defense (DOD) to over-allocate $6.2 billion for military assistance to Ukraine over the past two fiscal years. The figure is almost double what was initially reported in May, when the mistake was first discovered.

The budget mismatch is due to DOD overestimating the value of the weapons it sent to the Zelensky-led country. According to Sabrina Sing, a Pentagon spokeswoman, military services used replacement costs instead of the book value of the equipment that went to Ukraine, and this caused the accounting error that was detected during the last two fiscal years, she said Tuesday. "We have confirmed that for FY23, the final calculation is $3.6 billion, and for FY22 it is $2.6 billion, for a combined total of $6.2 billion," she explained.

She claimed that this surplus will go back into the funds that the DOD has earmarked for military assistance to Ukraine for its counteroffensive on Russia: "It’s just going to go back into the pot of money that we have allocated for the future Pentagon stock drawdowns," Singh said in her appearance.

The surplus money will become part of funds available to the U.S. government for use as it sees fit to assist Ukraine militarily. They will be able to do so without the need for Congressional approval or additional resources, as it would be covered by the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA). This measure allows the U.S. commander in chief to release weaponry from his stockpile to assist other countries militarily.