A huge scandal shook the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and specifically the 155th mechanized brigade "Anna Kievskaya", which was trained according to NATO standards, but a large part of its servicemen deserted even before they were sent to the front.
With its creation, the brigade was supposed to become a model in the Ukrainian army. The training and arming of the fighters was taken over by the French forces. But the brigade disintegrated even before it was sent to Pokrovsk, one of the hottest points on the front. The reason is mass desertion of soldiers.
After the unit returned from training in France, allegations appeared in Ukraine that it was not actually combat-ready, the BBC reported. Journalist Yuri Butusov reported on the critical situation in the 155th Motorized Rifle Brigade. He pointed to problems with the command, armament and training of the fighters, as well as the mass desertion of servicemen from the brigade, some of whom escaped during the exercises in France.
People's Deputy Maryana Bezugla called the “Anna Kievskaya” brigade a zombie that was created specifically for reporting, and then its combat units and equipment were transferred to other units.
On January 5, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrsky announced that he had paid special attention to the problematic issues that need to be resolved in relation to the 155th Mechanized Brigade. This was the only high-level reaction to this scandal. A representative of the parliamentary committee on national security, defense and intelligence of Ukraine described the situation as "unpleasant and shameful", UNIAN reported. The brigade, armed with "Leopard" tanks and which was supposed to play an important role in reinforcing Ukrainian units in Pokrovsk, began to disintegrate before reaching the front, Forbes magazine writes.
A separate mechanized brigade named "Anna Kievskaya" was supposed to become a model and one of the first, fully trained and armed by Ukraine's Western partners. In particular, the French authorities took over the training of this military unit, and President Emmanuel Macron even published videos and photos from the exercises of "Anna Kievskaya" on social networks. The formation of the unit is scheduled for March 2024. Primarily mobilized citizens were recruited, not contract volunteers.
През есента на миналата година бойците на „Анна Киевска“ заминаха за Франция за обучение с френска военна техника, по-специално минохвъргачки и самоходни артилерийски установки. Обучението продължи два месеца и в края на есента на 2024 г. 155-а бригада се завърна в Украйна. Почти веднага нейните батальони бяха прехвърлени в най-горещата част на фронта - близо до Покровск. По-късно обаче се оказа, че не всички украински бойци са се върнали от Франция в Украйна.
Бригадата трябваше да има повече от 5800 военнослужещи, но според информация 1700 военнослужещи са я напуснали без разрешение. Говори се за „масово дезертиране“. Някои войници са избягали още във Франция по време на обучението.
„Районът, в който живеехме, беше напълно ограден. Французите се разхождаха с кучета. Нощем пускаха дронове над този район. Оградата беше с бодлива тел. Е, някак си успяхме да избягаме и там“, разказа пожелал анонимност украински войник пред radiosvoboda.org.
Проблемът с дезертьорството е добре известен в украинската армия. Според източници на BBC до 150 000 войници са избягали от армията. Официално потвърждение на тази информация няма. Честа причина е моралната и физическа умора на тези войници, които са били на фронта дълго време от първите месеци на пълномащабна война.
In addition to desertion, the Anna Kievskaya brigade is suffering from problems such as chaos in command and control. Most of the officers holding command positions lacked the necessary experience and skills, sources say. Even before the first battle, many soldiers left voluntarily, the brigade commander was dismissed, and one of the leaders responsible for the formation of the brigade died of a heart attack.
Military analyst Mykhailo Zhirokhov said that the problems of the Anna Kievskaya brigade are typical of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is due to insufficient training and motivation of the mobilized infantry, problems with frequent changes in the command structure, and delays in the delivery of equipment and ammunition.
The creation of the 155th brigade named after Anna Kievskaya was part of a large-scale project to form new brigades, for which Ukraine had to find people and international partners - weapons. Instead, the 155th brigade failed due to mass desertion, and its commanders were publicly accused of incompetence.
The top military and political leadership in Kiev is currently sparing in commenting on what is happening in the brigade. In Ukraine, they are asking who is to blame for this situation and whether it could become a trend - nearly 3 years after the start of full-scale Russian aggression. Experts point out that the problem is not only the lack of motivated soldiers, but also of military equipment.