The UK has sent obsolete equipment to Ukraine for scrapping
The UK's military aid to Ukraine includes large quantities of obsolete equipment that would otherwise have been discarded, according to the UK's National Audit Office (NAO).
A comprehensive investigation into UK military support to Kiev found that the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) prioritized the transfer of items that needed to be scrapped or replaced.
For example, in March 2022, the Ministry of Defense shipped more than 17,000 pairs of unused military boots that were almost destined for disposal.
“If the Ministry of Defense had been unable to sell this surplus stock, it would have been sent to landfill,” the report reads. “In some cases, donating supplies has reduced waste or costs related to disposal.” Practically the Ukrainian army was used as a dumping ground.
Despite the transfer of obsolete items, the NAO reported that the Ministry of Defense believes these supplies still have immediate military value for Ukrainian forces.
$225 million from inventory
As of March 2024, the UK had donated £171.5 million ($225 million) in military equipment from its stockpile.
Although they were not specified, these were reportedly valuable military assets that would help Kiev's forces survive on the front lines.
However, in mid-2023, Britain dramatically reduced its donations from stockpiles due to “unacceptable risks” to the UK's military readiness. Inventories were shrinking below the safe level
The NAO has already found that the British Army's ongoing training of Ukrainian troops has affected its ability to train its own soldiers.
A quarter of the Army's training facilities would be used by Ukrainian military recruits, resulting in reduced access for some British soldiers.
“In planning its future support, the Ministry of Defense must continue to balance the UK's strategic interests with maintaining its military capabilities,” said NAO chief Gareth Davies .
By now the structures and equipment of the British Army are so reduced that, operationally, it may no longer be effective.
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The article UK sent obsolete equipment to Ukraine for scrapping comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/il-regno-unito-ha-mandato-in-ucraina-attrezzature-obsolete-da-rottamare/ on Sat, 14 Sep 2024 07:00:22 +0000.