Pentagon sends missile components from Kiev to own forces

(MENAFN) The Pentagon has redirected crucial missile components initially meant for Ukraine’s air defense to American forces operating in the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing a confidential notification sent to Congress last week. This move aligns with US President Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce support for Ukraine since taking office.

The parts involved are proximity fuzes used in the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), a guided rocket system that Ukraine has reportedly used for years to target drones. These components were procured under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative launched during Joe Biden’s presidency. Although funding for the program has been exhausted, previously approved shipments were still scheduled to be delivered to Ukraine later this year and next.

However, the WSJ revealed that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the transfer of these fuzes through an internal memo last month, labeling it a “Secretary of Defense Identified Urgent Issue.” The decision was communicated to the Senate Armed Services Committee, though the Pentagon declined to comment publicly.

According to anonymous sources and internal documents, the US Air Force plans to use the redirected fuzes in rockets launched from F-16 and F-15E fighter jets. The redirection was allowed under an emergency military spending bill passed last year.

Celeste Wallander, a former senior Defense Department official under Biden, told the WSJ that while the systems have been “vital” for Ukraine’s air defense, there is now an “urgent requirement” to protect US personnel and bases in the Middle East from drone attacks, particularly from Houthi rebels and potentially Iran.

The report comes shortly after Hegseth missed a NATO meeting dedicated to coordinating military aid to Ukraine—his first absence from such a meeting. Hegseth has been openly critical of ongoing US involvement in the Ukraine conflict.

President Trump has repeatedly questioned the continuation of military aid to Ukraine, advocating for a diplomatic resolution and urging Moscow and Kiev to negotiate peace.

Russian officials have condemned foreign arms shipments to Ukraine, warning that such support will not change the war’s outcome but will instead escalate violence and casualties.

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