Mass desertion from the front by elite 155 brigade fighters after training in France: what are the underlying reasons?

French soldiers trained the personnel of the 155th Mechanized Brigade "Anna Kyivska" for two months. However, upon their return to Ukraine and engagement in combat near Pokrovsk in the Donbas, the 155th Brigade faced numerous challenges.

155th Brigade: GUR Investigates Violations

According to journalist Yuriy Butusov, prior to the first battle, 1,700 soldiers deserted the brigade, the commander was dismissed, and one of the leaders of the 155th Brigade died of a heart attack.

He believes that the culprits include President Zelensky, Defense Minister Umerov, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Syrskiy, Ground Forces Commander Pavlyuk, Commander of the Operational Command "West" Shvedyuk, Strategic Industry Minister Smetanin, and many other leaders of operational commands and the Ground Forces.

Butusov pointed out that the main issue is that instead of training new fighters and augmenting existing brigades with experienced command, "Supreme Commander Zelensky devised a plan to form 14 new brigades for our NATO allies," for which commanders and organizational resources were unavailable.

The cost of forming a brigade is estimated at 900 million euros. France fully met all its obligations regarding the armament and training of the soldiers; however, even during the brigade's formation in France, 50 individuals deserted.

"This raised questions among the French leadership about the seriousness of the Ukrainians' commitment to implementing such an expensive project. A scandal ensued, the issue was raised at the Stavka, and GUR initiated a criminal case," Butusov explained.

Currently, GUR is investigating violations within "Anna Kyivska".

"GUR is indeed examining the facts reported in the media within the framework of a criminal case initiated under Article 426-1 (Abuse of power or official authority by a military official) and Article 408 (Desertion) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The investigation is ongoing. It is too early to discuss any preliminary results," — reported Tatyana Sapyian, communications advisor to the GUR director.

Formation and Training of the 155th Brigade: Initial Problems

In March 2024, the 155th Brigade began to form, appointing experienced officer Dmytro Ryumshin as its commander, while the Operational Command "West," led by General Shvedyuk, Colonel Seletskyi as Chief of Staff, and General Pavlyuk as Ground Forces Commander, were responsible for forming and staffing the brigade.

"However, it became evident from the start that the Operational Command 'West' lacked command personnel, soldiers, weapons, and resources to create a new unit. The formation of the 155th Brigade was characterized by complete organizational chaos in virtually all components from the very beginning," — stated Yuriy Butusov.

He noted that during the spring and summer, due to poor organization, the brigade saw mass desertions, particularly, nearly a thousand soldiers left before the trip to France. Butusov pointed out that during the summer, the leadership "plugged gaps" on various front lines with minimally trained soldiers from the brigade.

"In July and August, over 2,550 servicemen from the 155th Brigade were reassigned to replenish other units. This meant that nearly all capable soldiers were removed from the brigade, effectively nullifying four months of work, and then... an order was issued for all remaining personnel to prepare for a trip to France at the end of September," — the journalist recounted.

Simultaneously with training in France, instructors from Operational Command "West" were preparing another 4,000 soldiers to reinforce the brigade. However, the quality of training was low because the brigade's headquarters was located in France. Additionally, the command of Operational Command "West" was transferring untrained individuals to the Pokrovsk area.

Upon returning from France and arriving in Pokrovsk, Brigade Commander Ryumshin faced accusations of desertion, which led to his dismissal.

"Commander Ryumshin, who had just managed to establish some minimal control in this chaos and was trying to salvage the situation, was removed from his position along with several staff officers and one of the battalion commanders. New commanders were appointed who had no understanding of the state of affairs in the brigade. As a result, the chaos in management only intensified," — noted Butusov.

Losses of the 155th Brigade: Will Relations with France Deteriorate?

France invested 900 million euros in preparing the 155th Brigade, with 80% of the funds intended for technical equipment and the training of soldiers. However, during combat operations, the 155th Brigade suffered significant personnel losses due to poor management and lack of training. "Anna Kyivska" was equipped with infantry, artillery, and armored vehicles but lacked drones. Ten days after engaging in battle, the brigade received 17 million hryvnias from the Ministry of Defense to purchase UAVs, but there were no funds for electronic warfare systems. Consequently, in the initial battles, the unit lost new Leopard 2A4 tanks and VAB armored vehicles due to attacks from enemy drones.

"As a result of such criminal negligence regarding the lives of soldiers, the 155th Brigade has sustained significant losses from the very first days. There are battalion commanders who lead assaults because there is no one else to do so, and there are soldiers who fight fiercely for every position, performing real feats from day one, as I witnessed myself near Pokrovsk," — summarized Yuriy Butusov.

Former SBU employee and military analyst Ivan Stupak believes that this could lead to communication issues with the French.

According to him, Russia will certainly seize on this and exacerbate the situation through its "pseudo-journalists" in France. Additionally, he believes that the French, following the Americans, will want to conduct an audit of the appropriateness and effectiveness of their assistance in Ukraine.

"Patchwork Quilt" in the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Problems of the Ukrainian Army

"Territorial defense consists mainly of light infantry, meaning the soldiers lack tanks, and their artillery is very limited; they have it, but it's exclusively mortars," — explained Pavel Narozhny.

Narozhny noted that the lack of personnel is due to the fact that mobilization is "not very well organized." Moreover, the enemy is artificially stretching the front line, leaving Ukraine with no other option but to form new brigades, which require officers, soldiers, and equipment. Additionally, there are situations where personnel are urgently needed to reinforce certain areas of the front.

"And where can we find those to reinforce? People are pulled from other units. They take 250-300 individuals from one battalion, transfer them to another section of the front, and subordinate them to a different unit," — explained the expert.

Narozhny stated that such cases occur quite frequently, making it a management issue.

"But the primary source of this problem is indeed the lack of personnel, as no one can be spared for rotation, and they cannot reinforce units in any other way," — emphasized the military expert, adding that mobilization, recruitment, and personnel management could help remedy the situation.

Stupak mentioned that Ukraine lacks commanders, as some have perished. He also pointed out that among the current commanders, there are those who were IT specialists or sales managers just yesterday; such individuals cannot protect their subordinates or explain that certain directives from above are incorrect.

"There are meaningless orders that provoke significant losses and automatically lead to desertion. The lack of support also plays a crucial role; for example, if people are trained but only given rifles and told to assault a position where Russian tanks are stationed, it is evident that desertion will occur in such circumstances," — said Ivan Stupak.

He is convinced that to rectify this situation, the army must have individuals who have served for 20-30 years and can teach recruits how things work, where to shoot, and what to avoid.

"A sort of guardian angel in the army who will teach everything and show everything. He won't work against the soldier; on the contrary, he will be on their side... These should be people who have been to war, returned, and are settled; conditions should be created for them to serve, such as housing, benefits, and opportunities for their children to enroll in military universities if they wish. There should be substantial motivation so that they do not flee to seek work elsewhere," — emphasized Stupak.

When asked why new brigades are being formed in Ukraine instead of replenishing existing ones, the expert noted that the military is frustrated by this. He believes that someone, "in spite of the suffering," aims to employ all their relatives and acquaintances, leading to the creation of new units, which can result in "considerable benefits" from this war.

"People are fighting, while you command from the rear. After all, you have a unit; you can earn a star, achieve a general's rank, and become a respected individual," — summed up Ivan Stupak.

It should be noted that on November