The Pentagon has said that an accounting error has provided an extra $6.2 billion dollars for Ukraine

On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced that it had overestimated the value of the weapons it had supplied to Ukraine over the past two years by $6.2 billion. This figure is about twice the initial estimates. The error occurred because the military services used replacement costs instead of the book value of the equipment taken from Pentagon stocks and sent to Ukraine. The revised calculations indicate an error of $3.6 billion in the current fiscal year and $2.6 billion in the previous fiscal year, which ended on September 30, 2022.

As a result of this overestimation, the Department of Defense now has extra funds that can be used to support Ukraine in its efforts against Russia.

This revelation coincides with Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive against the occupying forces of Russia. The counteroffensive has encountered challenges such as heavily mined terrain and reinforced defensive fortifications. Russia, on the other hand, has been launching numerous Shahed exploding drones, targeting the Kyiv region. Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted 32 out of 35 drones launched by Russia on Tuesday, highlighting vulnerabilities in Ukraine's air protection after nearly 16 months of war.

To expedite the delivery of weapons, ammunition, and equipment to Ukraine, the Pentagon has frequently utilized presidential drawdown authority, bypassing the usual procurement process.

Previously announced estimates on June 13 indicated that the United States had committed over $40 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. However, with the revised calculation, it is revealed that the actual aid provided is less than $34 billion.

Exact figures for the remaining funds available for the stock drawdowns and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which funds the purchase of long-term weapons, including larger air defense systems, have not been provided by officials.

In response to Russia's invasion, the U.S. has approved four rounds of aid to Ukraine, totaling approximately $113 billion, with a portion of the funds allocated for replenishing U.S. military equipment sent to the frontlines. The latest aid package, approved by Congress in December, amounted to around $45 billion for Ukraine and NATO allies. While this package was intended to last until the end of the fiscal year in September, its sustainability depends on the evolving situation on the ground, especially with the escalation of the new counteroffensive.