Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) released its report “Evaluation of Security and Accountability Controls for Defense Items Transferred to Ukraine Through Romania.” This evaluation is part of an ongoing review of the effectiveness of the DoD’s accountability controls for defense items the United States provides to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF).
The DoD OIG found that the DoD did not implement effective controls to accurately account for defense items it procured and transferred to the UAF through Romania. Specifically, for 6 of 16 shipments reviewed, the DoD OIG identified discrepancies between the quantities of items U.S. personnel in Romania signed for as inspected and those reported to other organizations as transferred.
“Having adequate accountability documentation helps to demonstrate the efficient and effective purchase and transfer of these items,” said IG Storch. “This lack of accountability increases the risk that the DoD may not receive or transfer the agreed-upon, paid-for quantities of defense items to the UAF. Without more robust procedures, this issue is likely to continue.”
The DoD OIG recommended that the Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency update the Security Assistance Management Manual to require U.S. personnel to conduct and record detailed inventories of defense items in cases when defense items purchased using Foreign Military Financing are procured and the title is transferred overseas. The DoD OIG also recommended that the Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe update standard operating procedures for transferring defense items to the UAF through Romania to more accurately account for the quantities of DoD-procured defense items purchased, received, and transferred.
The DoD OIG will continue monitoring the DoD’s progress toward full implementation of these recommendations.