Ukraine Investigates Alleged Mass Desertion of French-Trained 155th ‘Anne of Kyiv’ Brigade

Ukraine has opened a criminal probe into an alleged case of desertion and “abuse of power” after hundreds of soldiers were reported to have fled an army unit partly trained by France, investigators said Thursday.

The 155th Mechanized Brigade, dubbed “Anne of Kyiv,” was one of several military groupings formed last year as Ukraine sought to boost preparations for possible new Russian offensives. The unit was to be made up of 4,500 soldiers, with France training roughly half of them and providing equipment. 

But its development has been beset with problems including what one lawmaker described as poor management.

The brigade’s commander was replaced shortly after the unit returned home after months of training in France, and days before it went into combat, according to reports in December.

Col. Dmytro Ryumshin left command of the 155th Mechanized Brigade on Dec. 12. He said in a short statement posted on the brigade Facebook page that he was thankful to soldiers, NCOs and officers for their “loyalty and professionalism,” and it had been an honor to train them. The unit would go to the fighting line “soon,” he said.

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Kyiv Post obtained exclusive video from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs showing the brigade’s training when French President Emmanual Macron visited the encampment in October. The compilation video gave a first look at dozens of Ukrainian soldiers taking lessons from French officers on field tactics, theory, and arms operations.

The Ukrainian troops can be seen in the clip practicing with a wide variety of hardware – including M270 rocket artillery systems, Caesar howitzers, and Alpha jets – in the French countryside and in specialized training grounds chosen to approximate the topographical challenges presented by the war in Ukraine. 

Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) said it had opened a criminal probe into abuse of power by a military official and desertion in the case, without elaborating.

“The State Bureau of Investigation is indeed studying the facts reported in the media within the framework of criminal proceedings initiated under Article 426-1 (exceedance of authority or official powers by a military person) and Article 408 (desertion) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The investigation is ongoing. It is too early to talk about any preliminary results,” DBR communications adviser Tetyana Sapyan told Interfax-Ukraine.

Yuriy Butusov, editor-in-chief of Censor.NET, claimed in his Telegram channel in December that 1,700 soldiers had fled the brigade without going into combat, and that 50 had escaped while training in France. 

Lawmaker Mariana Bezuhla alleged last month that the brigade had been effectively dismantled and redistributed across other units. She blamed what she called a lack of “coordination of command structures.” 

“Even the French efforts to make the brigade specialized couldn’t save it from the poor military decisions of our generals, which ultimately dismantled the unit,” she said.

The Ukrainian army faces significant uncertainty in 2025. Moscow is pouring resources into its nearly three-year invasion and uncertainty hangs over future US aid for Kyiv when President-elect Donald Trump takes office later this month. Russia advanced by almost 4,000 square kilometers (1,500 miles) in Ukraine last year.