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 D-Day commemorations last June in the presence of Volodymyr Zelensky. But this brigade is currently facing criticism in Ukraine. According to an investigation carried out by a Ukrainian journalist, several hundred soldiers deserted its ranks upon their return to Ukraine. Some even stayed in France to escape the fighting.
Last fall, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces still praised a “an 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 adapted to 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. A member mentions in particular a « brigade zombie » formed with the aim 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, just out of their training in France, are also sent to some of the hottest spots 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 Wednesday, December 18.
