Ukrainian investigators told AFP on Thursday that they had launched investigations into cases of abuse of power and desertions within the “Anne of kyiv” brigade, partly trained and equipped by France.
“The State Bureau of Investigation is effectively studying the facts presented in the media as part of the criminal proceedings initiated under the articles” related to abuse of power and desertion, Tatyana told AFP Sapian, the spokesperson for this official body. This brigade has been the subject of controversy since its return last month from France, where 2,300 of its 4,500 soldiers were trained.
According to renowned Ukrainian journalist Yuri Boutoussov, nearly 1,700 soldiers from the brigade deserted, most of them before their unit was even deployed to the front, and 50 during training in France. In a long message on Facebook on Tuesday, he accused the Ukrainian military command of having failed in the initial training of the brigade, which took place in “complete organizational chaos” and of having sent his soldiers to other units to “plug the holes” in terms of staff. According to him, what remained of the brigade was sent in particular to Pokrovsk, one of the hottest sectors of the Eastern Front, while its commander was dismissed, as well as several of his subordinates.
Still according to this Ukrainian journalist, the brigade was not equipped with drones or electronic jamming equipment, tools that have become essential for military units in this war. “Because of this criminal attitude towards the lives of soldiers, the 155th brigade suffered significant losses from the first days,” he accused.
“Brigade zombie”
“The investigation is ongoing. It is too early to talk about preliminary results,” explained Ms. Sapian, for her part.
The problems within the “Anne of kyiv” brigade had already been denounced by Ukrainian MP Mariana Bezougla, known for her virulent criticism of the military high command, who spoke in early December of a “zombie brigade” formed for the purposes of “publicity “.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited the soldiers of the 155th Ukrainian brigade at the beginning of October during their training in France. France gave this brigade 128 VAB troop transport vehicles, 18 AMX-10 tanks, 18 Caesar self-propelled guns as well as trucks, armored medical evacuation vehicles, Mistral anti-aircraft and Milan anti-tank missile firing points .
France
