Cases of abuse of power and desertions within the “Anne of kyiv” brigade, partly trained and equipped by France, were revealed Thursday by renowned Ukrainian journalist Yuri Boutoussov. He denounces in particular a lack of training within the brigade as well as equipment problems.
The 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 Ukrainian journalist Yuri Boutoussov, nearly 1,700 soldiers from the brigade deserted, most of them even before their unit was deployed to the front, and 50 during training in France.
In a long message on Facebook, he accused the Ukrainian military command on Tuesday of having failed in the initial training of the brigade, which took place in “complete organizational chaos” and of having sent its soldiers to other units to “plug the holes” in terms of numbers.
Problems related to lack of equipment
According to him, what remained of the brigade was sent to Pokrovsk, one of the “hottest” sectors of the Eastern Front, while its commander was dismissed, as well as several of his subordinates. “He believes that the soldiers were absolutely not ready for combat of such intensity,” notes journalist Stéphane Siohan, RTS correspondent in Ukraine, on Saturday in the Forum program.
Stéphane Siohan himself spoke with a volunteer in Ukraine who mentioned a mortality rate “perhaps the highest among the brigades currently engaged in Ukraine”.
>> Listen to the interview with Stéphane Tiran in Forum:
According to Ukrainian journalist Yuri Boutoussov, 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.
“Voluntary abandonments”
Organizational problems are also singled out. While half of the brigade was training in France, the other half was recruited and trained in Ukraine. “Soldiers trained in Ukraine never met their commanders trained in France before being sent into combat,” explains Stéphane Siohan.
Some 1,700 soldiers, a third of the brigade, refused at one point to go into combat
Heavy human losses are also to be deplored: several hundred dead, not counting the many injured. Two other Ukrainian brigades had to be sent as reinforcements to provide medical assistance.
As for desertions, they often fall under what Ukrainian law describes as “voluntary abandonment of post”. This allows soldiers to temporarily withdraw to protest their combat conditions. “Some 1,700 soldiers, or a third of the brigade, refused at one point to go into combat,” explains Stéphane Siohan.
Problems already denounced in the past
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 .
>> Read also: Lack of motivation, desertion, corruption… the Ukrainian army’s battle to recruit
Hélène Krähenbühl with afp
