"We're doing the best we can to focus on the kinds of capabilities we know they need and that they want and are using, andsecondary to that, to try to get them systems that they don't need a lot of start-up time for, that they can put in the field almost immediately," Mr Kirby said. Storch told lawmakers on Tuesday they would have an update on those projects in April, which will give a clearer picture of how the U.S. ishandling the monitoring of emergency aid to Ukraine. The Defense Department has provided Ukrainians with scanners to keep track of equipment transfers and officials use a software database of inventory employed by NATO for monitoring. And Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, has launched a probe into oversight of U.S. aid to Ukraine. Top Pentagon officials on Tuesday told lawmakers theyre confident weapons being sent to Ukraine are being used for their desired purpose and arent US allies, however. The United States and Germany have each committed to sending Ukraine one Patriot battery, generally including trucks with radar, control systems, a generator and launching stations that can fire multiple missiles at a time. Helsinki closed its borderat the endof September 2022, around the time traffic over the frontier intensified as Russians tried to flee President Vladimir Putins partial mobilization of hundreds of thousands of citizens to fight in the war. But the argument against providing F-16s is becoming more difficult to make as senior military leaders have privately acknowledged to GOP lawmakers in recent days that those weapons would help Ukraine win the war, according to a source familiar. The House Armed Services Committee has determined the possibility of sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine is not a wise use of the resources that are necessary to win the fight, according to the top-ranking Democrat on the committee. They provide us information on their inventories, their transfer logs, we have provided them handheld scanners, that data gets transmitted directly back to us so that we can keep custody., Read more: Why NATO is Giving Ukraine Air Defense Systems, Not Fighter Jets, A small number of U.S. military forces working out of the embassy in Kyiv have conducted six on-site inspections to ensure that Ukrainian forces are properly accounting for the arms theyve received. The Finish Border Guardsaidin a statement that the pilot phase of the eastern border barrier fence project began on Tuesday. The Pentagon policy chief said the most optimistic timeline for delivering older F-16s would be about 18 months while producing newer F-16s would take three to six years to deliver. Ukrainian troops also need training on the sophisticated Patriot air-defense systems to guard against Russian attacks on power grids and other infrastructure. The Department of Defense has expressed confidence over its ability to track weapons in Ukraine; one senior official said We have very, very detailed accountability measures to ensure that we are tracking [the weapons], according to SIGAR.. It was last extended in early 2021 for five years, meaning the two sides would soon need to begin negotiating on another arms control agreement. So yes, thats correct.. DOD officials remain confident U.S. weapons sent to Ukraine are not being diverted . On June 1, the Biden administration said it would provide Ukraine with high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) under the condition that Ukrainian forces not use them to hit targets inside Russian territory. Security assistance to Ukraine, which began in 2014, is intended to prevent Russia from contemplating further aggression. While US defence officials have been reluctant to provide Ukraine with weapons that its forces weren't already familiar with, this week Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed that a "small number" of Ukrainian troops will be trained on how to use the Switchblades, as well as US-supplied artillery systems. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has repeatedly accused Beijing of trying to have it both ways on the war. And while their claims can't be independently verified, Ukrainian officials say they are putting the weapons to good use. Since the Russian invasion, Ukraine has received billions of dollars worth of weapons from dozens of countries. And some of the arms like the rocket-propelled guided bombs that the United States is now offering in the $2.17 billion package have to be retrofitted from existing stocks or even built from scratch. The meeting comes as Kyiv seeks a significant increase in arms to fight off Russian forces. The Biden administration has provided Ukraine with roughly $30 billion worth of aid, and the topic of oversight on these weapons has garnered more attention in recent weeks as House Republicans gained the majority and vowed additional oversight. Additionally, German forces began training Ukraine troops last week on the Marder fighting vehicle that Berlin has promised. Below is a look at the weaponry pledged by some countries, some of which has been delivered and some of which has yet to be sent. "We're in a critical window now of time where they're going to set the stage for the next phase of this war," Mr Biden said on Wednesday, adding that the weapons are a reflection of "Ukraine's needs" as the war shifts towards the largely flat terrain of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Ukraine says it has already successfully destroyed several Russian T-72 tanks. Pentagon tells Republicans 'no evidence' that weapons for Ukraine are being diverted DoD's top policy official also says sending F-16s, if approved, would take at least 18 months. A Bradley Fighting Vehicle in northeastern Syria. But I think as a practical matter, it has not changed the situation," Kahl told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee Tuesday. It has also set up a hotline where tipsters have a confidential means to report fraud, waste, abuse and other violations of law. While he noted that there needs to be vigilance given Russia remains a dangerous power with a lot of nuclear weapons, he said it's unlikely Moscow will use nuclear weapons. The images posted to Twitter by the Ukrainian Armed Forces are labelled with a triumphant caption, declaring that this was the result of "hits from Javelins on [Russian] military equipment". The Netherlands is also sending part of a Patriot system. Finland has begun construction of barrier fences on its eastern border withRussia. Rescuers search wreckage of deadly Greece train crash. The latest $800m (612.5m) package, announced by President Joe Biden on Thursday, also includes heavy artillery, howitzers and tactical drones to be used on the flat plains in eastern Ukraine. 2023 BBC. "There is an understandable desire amid a crisis to focus on getting money out the door and to worry about oversight later, but too often that creates more problems than it solves. This is the first time the Pentagon has specified when that training may end. As the war enters its second year, concerns in Congress have mounted about American support for Ukraine. No one knows how long this war will last, Mr. The Bayraktar drone in particular garnered attention during the war as Ukrainian forces used the weapon to destroy Russian artillery systems and armoured vehicles. It is not an exhaustive list, as some nations keep their transfers secret. Ukraine has long been considered as one of the most corrupt nations in Europe, and it ranked 116 out of 180 countries on the annual Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International in January. By tying it to Ukraine right now, tying it to an immovable object in the sense that our support for Ukraine will not be limited by their NewSTARTdecision, theyre really placing in doubt their support for thetreatyitself, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance Mallory Stewart said. Shoulder-fired MANPAD systems, NLAWs, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Stinger missiles, Javelin anti-tank missiles, MILAN anti-tank guided missiles and Cheetah anti-aircraft missiles are among the weapons pledged to Ukraine. Australia has pledged M113 armoured personnel carriers and Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles, the latter of which can deploy 10 soldiers. Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) wants to intensify high-level public oversight of aid to show that weapons and equipment are going where theyre intended. CNN's Brian Todd explains what these weapons are. . Thirteen Chinese entities have also been added to the Entities List by the US Commerce Department for providing support to Russia, including one that was supplying parts to the Iranian drone program, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security at the Commerce Department Alan Estevez said a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing. Kahl also said Ukraine may receive different fighter jets, such as the British Tornado or Swedish Gripen, which require completely different training. At the same time, Kahl pushed back on bipartisan calls to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighters, the latest flashpoint between President Joe Biden and Congress on the conflict. A number of countries are sending automatic rifles, machine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, submachine guns, pistols, and ammunition to Ukraine. Additionally, the Pentagon said on Thursday that it is giving Ukraine "ghost drones" - similar in capabilities to the Switchblade - that Mr Kirby said were "rapidly developed by the Air Force in response specifically to Ukrainian requirements". Anyone can read what you share. From CNN's Michael Conte and Oren Liebermann. But they come with a hitch: They will be deployed on the battlefield too late to be used against a broad assault by Moscow that seemingly has begun to unfurl in eastern Ukraine. We dont go out and count the missiles, he said. Robert Storch, the Department of Defense (DoD) inspector general who appeared alongside Kahl at the hearing, said his office is currently probing the issue. 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Kahl later pushed back, arguing the administration weighs what weapons to send based on Ukraines needs and potential impact on U.S. military readiness rather than concerns over escalation. Speaking at the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Kritenbrink noted that Beijing has disseminated Russian propaganda and used its own disinformation to support Russia's war there and to blame, inappropriately, the war on the west, the United States, and NATO.. The training lasts about six to eight weeks. He said it "doesn't make sense" to train Ukrainians on the F-16 system if they might not receive it. Here's what we know. ", Urban decay: There's a reason criminals love Los Angeles's district attorney, The Left's utopian open border policies are unsustainable, Another 'right-wing conspiracy theory' proven true, Student borrowers advocate Biden debt relief program amid Supreme Court battle, Trump and DeSantis attend dueling Republican conferences as GOP primary field heats up, China will target the US homeland in war over Taiwan, Army leader predicts, Users recoil at new iPhone feature that slows charging when clean energy isn't used. Grids and other infrastructure Ukraine troops last week on the Marder fighting vehicle that Berlin has promised the enters. These weapons are long this war will last, Mr an exhaustive,... And count the missiles what about weapons being ukraine he said some nations keep their transfers secret of the eastern withRussia. 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