Mass Desertion in French-Trained Ukrainian Brigade

paris - Mass desertion in a Ukrainian brigade trained by France; '1700 soldiers fled'

In a lengthy Facebook post, Boutoussov accused the Ukrainian army leadership of failing to carry out the initial training of the brigade, which took place in 'complete organizational chaos'. Additionally, they allegedly sent soldiers to other units to 'fill the gaps' in manpower. The rest of the brigade was reportedly sent to Pokrovsk on the eastern front, while the commander was dismissed along with some of his subordinates.

According to the Ukrainian journalist, the brigade was not equipped with drones or electronic jamming devices, tools that have become essential for military units in this war. 'Due to this criminal attitude towards the lives of soldiers, the 155th brigade suffered heavy losses from the first days,' stated Boutoussov.

Ukrainian investigators announced on Thursday that they have launched an investigation into the misconduct within the brigade. Tatyana Sapian, spokeswoman for the State Investigation Bureau, confirmed that the facts 'presented in the media regarding abuse of power and desertion are actively being studied' by the state investigation bureau. 'The investigation is still ongoing. It is too early to talk about preliminary results,' explained Tatyana Sapian.

The issues within the 'Anne of Kiev' brigade were also highlighted by Ukrainian parliamentarian Mariana Bezougla, known for her strong criticism of the military high command. In early December, Bezougla referred to a 'zombie brigade' allegedly established for 'publicity' purposes.

In early October, French President Emmanuel Macron visited the soldiers of the Ukrainian 155th brigade during their training in France. France provided the brigade with 128 VAB personnel carriers, 18 AMX-10 tanks, 18 Caesar self-propelled guns, trucks, armored vehicles for medical evacuation, firing positions for Mistral air defense missiles, and Milan anti-tank missiles.