US military aid packages to Ukraine shrink amid concerns over Pentagon stockpiles

By Natasha Bertrand and Oren Liebermann, CNN

(CNN) — US military aid packages for Ukraine have been smaller in recent months, as the stockpiles of weapons and equipment that the Pentagon is willing to send Kyiv from its own inventory have dwindled. The shift comes amid concerns about US military readiness being impacted as US arms manufacturers play catchup to the huge demand created by the war against Russia.

The shortage means the Biden administration still has $6 billion in funds available to arm and equip Ukraine, but the Pentagon lacks the inventory it is willing to deliver more than two years into the war, two US officials told CNN.

“It’s about the stockpiles we have on our shelves, what [the Ukrainians] are asking for, and whether we can meet those requests with what we currently have” without impacting readiness, one of the officials said.

The Pentagon has asked Congress for more time to spend that money before it expires at the end of September, according to Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary. It’s a stark reversal from last winter, when the administration was pleading with lawmakers for additional funding to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

“Replenishment is also an issue,” the official said. The US is ramping up production of key items, such as 155 mm ammunition and Patriot missile systems, both to supply Ukraine and to refill US inventories. But it is a yearslong process that won’t quickly meet the surging demand.

Before the war in Ukraine, the US produced approximately 15,000 155 mm artillery shells each month. With new factories and production lines opening, the US is now producing 40,000 shells a month. But it will still take more than a year for the Pentagon to hit its goal of 100,000 shells each month. The process of ramping up production is on schedule, but the process will take years, requiring new facilities, expanded factories and Congress willing to allocate the money.

Ukraine is feeling the impact of the inventory shortages, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. During a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany this month, Zelensky told the US and other allies that deliveries of promised air defense systems were moving too slowly and warned of a “significant” shortfall in vital aid.

In April, Congress gave the Biden administration an additional $13.4 billion to use specifically to send Ukraine weapons and equipment drawn from US stockpiles. But the Defense Department hasn’t been able to use it all because of a lack of corresponding supply that it is willing to part with without risking the US’ own readiness, officials told CNN.

The Pentagon announced in April that it would send up to $1 billion worth of weapons and equipment directly from US stockpiles to Kyiv after Congress finally passed a supplemental funding package for Ukraine.

Since then, however, the value of each military aid package to Ukraine has been significantly smaller, with none exceeding $400 million and most in the $125 million to $250 million range. In 2022 and 2023, the Pentagon regularly announced packages worth between $600 million to $800 million, with the highest being $2.85 billion in January 2023.

Another US official noted the administration was unable to draw supplies from Defense Department stockpiles for the first four months of the year because of Congress’ delay in approving supplemental funding. The official also said the US is trying not to send Ukraine too much at once.

“There are limits to how quickly we can draw down equipment without impacting military readiness, which is one reason packages get spaced out,” the official said. There are also limits, the official added, to how quickly Ukraine can absorb the equipment and distribute it effectively.

The US is still trying to announce a new aid package roughly every two weeks, the official added, which Ukraine is “supportive of because they believe getting new packages every two weeks is a morale boost.”

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has vowed to continue providing military support to Ukraine and announced a new $250 million aid package at the meeting in Germany this month. Austin acknowledged at the meeting that the US is working to ramp up production and “speed up deliveries” to Ukraine.

“Time is of the essence, especially with winter on its way,” Austin said. “And we must all step up our support — and quickly.”

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