Top officials from the Department of Defense stated on Monday that there is a lack of funding amounting to approximately $10 billion for purchasing new U.S. military weapons, due to the already allocated weapons being sent to Ukraine. This shortage will require Congress to provide additional funds in order to address the issue.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks stated to reporters that there are currently no other foreseeable options aside from including additional funds in the supplemental funding bill or incorporating them into an appropriations bill in order to reach the required replenishment.

According to one official from VOA, the estimated cost of replacing all the supplies provided to Ukraine would be approximately $10 billion.

The Biden administration’s supplemental request included billions of additional dollars in aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, which was expected to provide funding for Pentagon officials to replenish their stocks. However, Congress has not yet passed the aid bill due to disagreements on spending and U.S. border security.

The deficit is linked to the method the Pentagon used to track the aid given to Ukraine. In June of last year, the Pentagon admitted to overestimating the worth of weapons sent to Ukraine by approximately $6.2 billion in the previous two years.

According to officials who spoke with VOA, the Department of Defense included the expenses for replacing weapons provided to Ukraine in their aid package estimates, instead of considering the actual cost of the systems that were delivered.

The mistake allowed the Pentagon to justify sending additional assistance to Ukraine. However, the issue persists that more money will be required to replace older, more expensive weapons in the U.S. military’s stockpiles.

According to a defense official who spoke to VOA, not restocking U.S. reserves would have a detrimental impact on the military’s preparedness.

The department currently has approximately $4 billion available to provide assistance to Ukraine. However, according to Pentagon officials, sending additional aid without the ability to replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles would pose a risk that the Defense Department is not currently willing to take.

Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, a defense expert from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, stated to VOA that there are certain weapons that the U.S. could provide to Kyiv without sacrificing military preparedness, “due to the fact that the Army no longer has a need for them.”

One potential armament is a type of munition consisting of 155-millimeter cluster units. According to Montgomery, this is not included in the U.S.’s strategic preparations for combat.

He stated that this would provide the Ukrainian military with 155-millimeter ammunition promptly.

Another option for sending a weapon without affecting U.S. military readiness would be to deploy M113 armored vehicles at no additional expense.

He informed VOA that we have numerous items that we are eliminating, and suggested the possibility of sending them to Ukraine.