A small group of American troops stationed in Ukraine conducts inspections aimed at ensuring that the Ukrainian army keeps strict records of weapons received from Western countries. This was announced on Monday by a representative of the Pentagon.
Inspections are carried out by the American military attaché in Kyiv and employees of the Defense Cooperation Administration. According to the rules, they cannot conduct inspections near the front lines and operate where, according to a Pentagon spokesman, "the situation allows." Ukrainian officials are providing full assistance to American inspectors.
The inspections are part of a campaign by Western capitals to ensure that modern Western weaponry given to the Ukrainian armed forces does not end up in the hands of the Russian army, its allies or extremist groups. The start of this campaign was announced last week by the State Department. It is being held in response to requests from members of Congress, who are demanding from the White House a report on the use of billions of dollars allocated for military aid to Ukraine.
According to the Associated Press news agency, the State Department has prepared a long-term plan for cooperation with Ukraine, which will strengthen joint control over the use of modern weapons, especially missile and anti-aircraft systems, and strengthen security measures at the country's borders to prevent potential arms smuggling. Thousands of portable anti-aircraft and anti-tank systems have been transferred to Ukraine, which may be of great interest to extremist groups.
