German rail delays hindered US ammo supply to Ukraine

According to an official report from the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Defense, last year's deliveries of American ammunition to Ukraine were delayed by at least two months due to issues with a military contract involving the German railway company Deutsche Bahn.

The report indicates that "numerous delays" occurred between December 2022 and January 2023, coinciding with a period when Ukraine began experiencing ammunition shortages supplied by the U.S. This is one of several occasions where "shortages of American aid affected the Ukrainian army" since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022.

This report was provided to Defense One in response to a request made under the Freedom of Information Act.

As noted, in at least one instance, "there was no rail available to transport the ammunition". The issue was eventually resolved by hiring ships to deliver the supplies, with costs amounting to $1.6 million for the United States.

The report stated that deficiencies in the transportation agreement between EUCOM (U.S. European Command) and Deutsche Bahn caused the "repeated delays."

Another section of the report reveals that the agreement "did not include any requirement for Deutsche Bahn to take action." However, the American side suggests that Deutsche Bahn declined the military's request for "some type of service." The report noted that the German federal government owns the national carrier.

The report also recommended that the European command explore alternative methods for transporting ammunition to Ukraine.

A June report from the German Council on Foreign Relations stated that the capacity of the German rail network to transport military goods is limited by extensive bureaucracy, inadequate infrastructure investments, and an insufficient number of flatbed cars for military goods.

Furthermore, it was noted that military shipments must compete with commercial goods.

Source: defenseone.com/WP