CNN, citing two anonymous military sources say the Pentagon has begun giving smaller amounts of military aid to Ukraine because the U.S.'s own reserves have dwindled significantly and it does not want to jeopardize its combat readiness.
Of the funds appropriated by Congress directly for military aid to Ukraine, $6 billion remains unspent. The Defense Department is technically required to spend them by the end of September, when the US fiscal year ends, but it has asked lawmakers to extend that deadline.
The fastest channel for US military supplies to Ukraine is the transfer of weapons, ammunition and other equipment directly from military depots. However, CNN's sources say that there are no large surpluses left and the Pentagon does not want to reduce the reserves further because it is not sure when they will be replenished.
"Replenishment (of warehouses) is also a problem,", CNN quoted the interlocutor. The US is ramping up production of key items such as 155mm rounds and Patriot systems, both to supply Ukraine and to replenish its own stockpiles, but this process will take years and will not be able to quickly meet increased demand.
So before the war, the US produced 15 thousand 155-mm artillery shells per month. Now new factories and production lines were launched, and the production of projectiles increased to 40 thousand per month. But the Pentagon is aiming to increase production to 100,000 per month, and there is still more than a year to go.
According to CNN, such a pace is fully consistent with the schedule of the US military department.