Ukrainian investigators indicated 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, said Tatyana Sapian, the door -speech of this official body.
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. “The investigation is ongoing. It is too early to talk about preliminary results,” explained Ms. Sapian. 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 “publicity” purposes. “.
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 personnel carriers, 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 .
The Ukrainian army between anguish and indulgence
The Ukrainian army has lost at least 43,000 soldiers killed in combat and undoubtedly tens of thousands more currently considered missing since the start of the Russian invasion. It is struggling to replace these losses in the face of Russian troops who have the advantage of numbers and are gaining ground at the cost of very deadly assaults.
According to the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office, since 2022, at least 90,000 cases have been opened for desertion or absence without authorization, with a sharp increase in cases in 2024. Faced with a lack of soldiers, the Ukrainian authorities have demonstrated a certain indulgence. Parliament thus passed a law in August exempting from legal proceedings those who returned to their units, provided that they had not previously been convicted for this reason.
Training and supervision
According to Siver, a Ukrainian commander, the number of soldiers abandoning their units is increasing because many of the most motivated service members are already dead or injured. Several soldiers, however, said that improvements in the training and supervision of the army could help reduce desertions.
A former deserter explains that, thanks to the attitude of his current superiors, his combat aptitude and physical condition have improved since his first illness. Siver suggests better psychological support to prepare the troops, but he does not see a miracle solution to reduce desertions, which will undoubtedly multiply as the fighting continues. Although yes, he says, there is indeed one: “We just have to end the war.”
