Mounting Concern That Ukraine Aid Could Impact American Military Readiness

Expansive American military aid to Ukraine is leaving the United States without the munitions needed to fight a major war, warned Department of Defense officials in testimony before Congress and leaked documents.

The documents were leaked onto the popular messaging app Discord. Defense officials are evaluating how the sensitive documents made it to the public.

According to these leaked papers, the United States is concerned about a number of potential theaters of operations, from Ukraine to Israel to South Korea.

The news also comes as the Pentagon is openly concerned that the number of munitions sent as part of Ukraine aid may directly impact the United States’ ability to fight a war.

During testimony to Congress, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley told the House Armed Services Committee last month that “we’ve got a ways to go to make sure our stockpiles are prepared for the real contingencies.”

The situation is so acute that the Pentagon is conducting a review to determine its readiness material. One example is that the number of Javelin missiles provided to Ukraine equals seven years of production.

In addition, it will take years to replenish the amount of 155 mm and HIMARS rounds provided to Ukraine. The United States has sent more than 1.5 million 155 mm shells as aid.

According to Adm. Mike Gilday, “the biggest thing we learned was the expenditure rates.”

Gilday, the head of naval operations, testified before the Senate late last month.

Ukraine fires up to 7,000 rounds of ammunition every day, while Russia was firing approximately 50,000 before a dropoff earlier this year. Such a decline may indicate that Russia is also suffering from supply shortages.

The concern also comes during a particularly tense time in other theaters around the world. Over the last several days, China has conducted a number of aggressive military maneuvers around Taiwan.

Beijing deployed 71 fighters around the island and practiced potential bombing runs on the island. The event came after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visited the United States and met with a number of legislators, including Speaker of the House Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).