The Pentagon lacks confidence that $1.1 billion sent to Ukraine in 2022 was used for its intended purpose.

"The $1.1 billion transferred to Ukraine in 2022 is insufficiently documented, highlighting issues with oversight of the $76 billion allocated to Kyiv in recent years," the U.S. Department of Defense's Office of Inspector General said in a report.

The auditor reportedly considers them "questionable expenditures."

"Without sufficient documentation to justify and verify these payments, the Department of Defense cannot provide assurances to the public, department leadership, or Congress about the transparency of the use of assistance funds to Ukraine," the Office of Inspector General said in a statement."

Phillip Walter Wellman of Stars and Stripes wrote: "A Defense Department audit has found that $1.1 billion in payments meant to support Ukraine in the months following Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country lacked proper documentation, raising concerns over financial accountability and transparency in U.S. military aid.

However, the DOD Inspector General also found that service members were largely untrained to do the paperwork and the Pentagon response to the report indicated it wasn’t particularly interested in more training.

The audit by the IG reviewed $2.1 billion in approved funds for Kyiv in 2022. It found that 323 payments, or 67% of the total, either lacked paperwork or were improperly recorded, leaving officials unable to confirm whether the funds were used for their intended purposes. The unsupported payments included $17 million the Navy spent on fuel and other expenses in Europe unrelated to Ukraine, the IG said in a report of its findings released Tuesday.

The findings have raised concerns of potential violations of the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits spending unauthorized by Congress. Due to the urgency in distributing funds intended to bolster Ukraine’s defense following Moscow’s invasion in February 2022, DOD personnel faced pressure to execute payments quickly. “This quick reaction led to a breakdown in internal controls,” the report said. The DOD’s Financial Management Regulation and Joint Travel Regulations both require a lot of paperwork to support government payments.

Each payment must be accompanied by disbursement vouchers, invoices and details that outline the purpose and accuracy of the spending. The IG found that these requirements were often ignored or incomplete.

For 264 payments, or 82% of the unsupported transactions, the DOD failed to properly justify the use of supplemental funds for Ukraine.

For the full original read, visit Stars and Stripes.