Published on 05/01/2025 21:04
Updated on 05/01/2025 22:00
Reading time: 1min – video: 2min
War in Ukraine: many soldiers deserted the “Anne of kyiv” brigade
War in Ukraine: many soldiers reportedly deserted the “Anne of kyiv” brigade
(France 2)
Formed in France in the fall, where 2,300 Ukrainians were trained by the French, the “Anne of kyiv” brigade experienced numerous desertions. Nearly 1,700 soldiers are said to have left, notably due to a lack of organization.
This fall, 2,300 Ukrainians were trained in France by French people and equipped with French weapons. It was one of the symbols of France's aid to Ukraine, announced by Emmanuel Macron himself. “Our wish is also to form a brigade”he explained. Today, this new brigade has a good name, the “Anne of kyiv” brigade. But on the ground, she would be in difficulty. According to information from a Ukrainian journalist, 1,700 soldiers deserted, including around fifty during their stay in France. Figures that the Ukrainian authorities do not confirm, but an official investigation has been launched. “The problem comes from the fact that we sent a unit to France that was not organized, without coordination”indicates Yuri Boutoussov, Ukrainian journalist specializing in the army.
We managed to contact one of the soldiers who left the “Anne of kyiv” brigade. With little experience, he tells us he was sent to the hottest point on the front. But what he denounces above all are the shortcomings of the command: “I was trained as a gunner and when I arrived in Pokrovsk (Ukraine) I was told I was going to lay mines”. He swears he wants to return to his unit in a few days, hoping for an end to the malfunctions. In Ukraine, many are calling for strengthening existing units rather than creating new ones. When asked, the French army did not wish to answer our questions.
Watch the full report in the video above.
