“According to Darya Kaleniuk, the problem was brought to the attention of top state officials as early as last summer.”, — write: www.unian.ua
According to Darya Kaleniuk, the problem was brought to the attention of top state officials as early as last summer.
According to Darya Kaleniuk, Ukraine risks losing weapons worth $3.8 billion due to the incompetence of the Ministry of Defense / photo UNIANManagement errors in the Ministry of Defense led to the fact that 3.8 billion dollars reserved for Ukraine will remain unused – their fate will be decided by the new US president. Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Center, said this on Facebook, “DS” reports.In the post, she noted that the problem was brought to the attention of top state officials as early as the summer of last year. However, the head of the Ministry of Defense Rustem Umyerov and his team assured that “everything is under control” and “the money will be used.”
“Political leaders can promise anything, but without the efficient work of the bureaucracy, these promises remain just words,” Kaleniuk emphasizes.
According to her, the Ministry of Defense ignored recommendations to create a separate department that would deal with issues of US military assistance. As a result, according to Kaleniuk, only 1-2 people were involved in this work, and there was practically no coordination with American partners.
Minister Umyerov, believing that his telephone conversations and meetings with the Pentagon leadership would be enough, did not ensure a clear organization of the process, writes Kaleniuk.
This led to the fact that the ministry could not process the bureaucratic requirements of the US in a timely manner. As of August 2024, the agency has not even identified a person responsible for the issue of international military aid, the director of the Central Security Agency notes.
Functions regarding international cooperation were initially transferred to Deputy Minister Dmytro Klimenkov, who is called a close friend of Umerov. However, due to the low effectiveness of this decision, from October 2024 this responsibility was taken over by the new deputy Serhii Boev. However, time was lost, and the bureaucratic chaos was never overcome, explains Kaleniuk.
We will remind that 3.8 billion dollars is part of the US presidential program, which allows for the quick transfer of weapons to Ukraine from the Pentagon warehouses. But from January 20, 2025, the new US president will receive these powers, and there is a risk that the aid will be suspended. Thus, Ukraine lost a unique opportunity to use these funds on time.
Kaleniuk believes that management chaos in the Ministry of Defense endangers not only American aid, but also the overall efficiency of the department’s work in wartime conditions.