did soldiers trained in France within the “Anne de kyiv” brigade remain in France after having deserted?

Ukraine has opened an investigation after cases of desertions within the brigade of Ukrainian soldiers trained in France.

It is one of the symbols of military cooperation between Ukraine and France. The “Anne of kyiv” brigade, 4,500 soldiers, the majority of whom trained in France last fall. President Emmanuel Macron announced its creation during the commemorations of the landing last June in the presence of Volodymyr Zelensky. But this brigade is currently facing criticism in Ukraine. According to an investigation by a Ukrainian journalist, several hundred soldiers deserted its ranks upon their return to Ukraine. Some would even have stayed in France to escape the combat.

Last fall, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces still praised a “unprecedented model of support for Ukraine that only France implements”. 1,500 French soldiers were mobilized for more than two months to train 2,300 Ukrainian soldiers. Training in eastern France, as close as possible to kyiv's needs, including the creation of trenches to best suit the combat conditions in Ukraine.

At the end of this training last November, France equipped this new brigade with more than a hundred armored vehicles as well as around twenty Caesar cannons. Paris has therefore bet a lot on this elite brigade but the results are far from living up to the ambitions. We learned on Thursday January 2 that an investigation had been opened by the Ukrainian authorities into cases of desertions within this brigade. This follows the revelations of a renowned journalist in Ukraine, Yuri Butoussov. According to him, nearly 1,700 soldiers out of 4,500 deserted upon their return to Ukraine. 50 soldiers even fled the army during their training in France.

From the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, no confirmation “at this stage” we are told and “prudence” on the advanced figures. What is certain is that in Ukraine, this affair is causing a lot of noise. One MP notably mentions a “brigade zombie” formed for the purpose of “advertisement”. Many criticize not the military training in France, but rather the way in which the Anne of kyiv brigade was deployed on the front. According to the Ukrainian journalist who revealed the affair, the brigade was dismantled upon its arrival in Ukraine and its men dispersed to plug the holes in other brigades weakened by months of fighting.

Young recruits, barely out of their training in France, were also sent to some of the hottest points on the front, such as Pokrovsk in the east of the country. Some were not even equipped with basic equipment, such as drone jammers. Finally, several officers, including the brigade commander, were dismissed from their posts for problems related to the human management of their troops. Numerous dysfunctions which could explain these massive desertions. However, Franco-Ukrainian collaboration will continue since a second brigade must be formed in France, President Zelensky announced on Wednesday December 18.