Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation is investigating a French arms training brigade after mass desertions were reported from the unit.
The investigation agency spokesperson, Tetyana Sapian, told Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday that the authorities launched a criminal probe into abuse of power and desertion at the 155th Mechanized Brigade. The investigation is ongoing. It is too early to talk about any preliminary results,” she said.
The infantry brigade, named “Anne of Kyiv” after an 11th-century Kyiv princess who became a queen of France, has about 5,800 soldiers. Around 2,000 of them underwent months of training in France in 2024.
They enjoyed a relatively high profile there; in October, French President Emmanuel Macron met several 155th battalions during a public visit to a French base.
Paris provided the brigade with weaponry, including 18 AMX 10 armoured vehicles, 18 truck-mounted Caesar howitzers, and 128 armoured troop carriers. The unit also fields some of Germany’s prized Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks.
By November, the 155th was set to hit the front lines, with French officials saying these Ukrainian troops were now equipped to fight with Western battlefield training.
