The Remote Maintenance and Distribution Cell–Ukraine (RDC-U) performed maintenance on 649 pieces of equipment as of August 15, 2023, the audit report said. The RDC-U was tasked with inspecting equipment to ensure it was fully mission capable before delivering it to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF), the report said.
“Specifically, we identified that 609 (94 percent) of the 649 military equipment items maintained and repaired by the RDC-U were Presidential Drawdown Authority equipment that arrived in Poland non-mission capable, requiring maintenance prior to delivery to the UAF,” the report said.
The other 40 items were returned by the UAG for repair due to extensive battle damage or complex repair efforts, the report said.
US Defense Department units did not provide the equipment to the RDC-U in accordance with guidance from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the report also said.
Moreover, the UAF’s increased use of equipment provided under the Presidential Drawdown Authority resulted in a higher demand for repair parts, straining the supply chain, the report said. The UAF did not always return parts that could be repaired or refurbished to the US Defense Department, which could have mitigated stress on the supply chain, the report added.
The report recommends that the Security Assistance Group–Ukraine coordinate with the Defense Security Cooperation Agency and the Military Services to establish processes and controls to address the delivery of non-mission-capable equipment to the RDC-U.
The US should also explore establishing a memorandum of understanding with Ukraine to incentivize the return of repair parts, the report said.
Findings by the Pentagon's inspector general are the latest in a chain of similar revelations made on the quality of military arms given to Ukraine by the Biden administration. Earlier conclusions saw officials detail that "the super high-dollar American stuff is not doing so well."
Additional audits detailed that both US forces in Syria and the Ukrainian military had received "non-mission capable equipment" as a result of poor storage and maintenance requirements carried out by contractors.