(NewsNation) — An audit by the United States Inspector General says the Department of Defense didn’t properly document more than $1 billion in payments to Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Kyiv.
The audit, which reviewed $2.1 billion funds approved for Ukraine that year, found that more than half of the payments, roughly 67%, lacked paperwork or were improperly recorded.
Payments require disbursement vouchers and invoices outlining the purpose of the funds, which the audit found were often incomplete or completely ignored.
Those mistakes mean that officials are unable to know whether the billions were used for their intended purposes. According to the report, “the DoD OIG considers them questioned costs” that need to be reviewed and documented.
“Additionally, if the DoD does not implement the recommendations in this report, the control issues identified could also apply to the more than $76 billion of additional Ukraine supplemental funding appropriated after 2022,” the audit warns.
Service members were untrained in how to do the paperwork, the report found.
The audit recommends:
- Developing “guidance for supplemental funding” for specific payments
- Implementing “effective internal controls” that enforce documentation requirements
- Reviewing documentation for the payments in question
“Robust internal controls are the backbone for efficiency and accountability,” said Inspector General Storch in a statement. “Without fully effective controls, the DoD could jeopardize its ability to fulfill its financial responsibilities and achieve its mission.”
Read the full audit here.