Ukrainian soldiers have gone AWOL in France: AFP
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Dozens of recruits have reportedly left the elite 'Anne of Kiev' brigade during their training in France.
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Ukrainian soldiers take part in a military exercise at a military training camp in an undisclosed location in England, on March 24, 2023. (AP)
According to a report by AFP on Monday, a French army official revealed that several Ukrainian soldiers deserted from an elite brigade during their training in France.
The 155th Mechanized Brigade, which was intended to be a flagship Ukrainian unit trained and equipped by France, is named ‘Anne of Kiev’ after the daughter of the medieval prince Yaroslav the Wise who married French King Henry I.
The unit was personally inspected by French President Emmanuel Macron in northeastern France in October. Approximately 2,300 soldiers have received training in France, with an additional 2,200 trained in Ukraine.
The official who spoke to AFP, while not revealing the exact number of deserters, stated that their departure "remains very marginal given the large number of individuals who have undergone training."
“They were in French barracks, they had the right to go out,” the official said, adding that the soldiers were subjected to a disciplinary regime “imposed by the Ukrainian command.” The official stressed that France had no authority to arrest the deserters.
1,700 from brigade AWOL in Ukraine
Most of the soldiers arriving in France were conscripts with no combat experience and were accompanied by 300 Ukrainian supervisors, according to AFP.
Mikhail Drapaty, the recently appointed commander of Ukraine’s Land Forces, told AFP that they were aware of the problems.
Popular Ukrainian journalist Yury Butusov reported earlier this month that “dozens” of soldiers had deserted the brigade in France, and 1,700 more went AWOL while serving in Ukraine. The senior commanders of the brigade have "either been dismissed or are in the process of being dismissed", according to Butusov.
Commenting on Butusov’s report, Drapaty told AFP that “a number of the facts that were presented did take place,” but “perhaps not on the scale and scope that was presented.”
The brigade admitted having problems with personnel and released an appeal on social media for its lost recruits to report back to base. “We understand that the reasons which have forced you to go AWOL may have been different,” the unit said in a statement on Facebook on Monday.
“Return to the team. We are waiting for you.”
Soldiers went AWOL
This comes after Ukrainian media revealed in October that the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine had recorded approximately 60,000 criminal cases of unauthorized unit abandonment and around 30,000 cases of desertion since early 2022.
Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov reported on Friday that over 1,700 soldiers from Ukraine’s newly established 155th Mechanized Brigade, which was extensively trained and equipped in France, deserted before reaching the battlefield.
This came after French President Emmanuel Macron, alongside Volodymyr Zelensky, unveiled the "elite" brigade project last June. The brigade was intended to comprise over 5,800 troops and feature Leopard tanks and French CAESAR 155 mm howitzers.
However, Butusov noted on social media that at least 50 soldiers, part of the unit also known as "Anne of Kiev," went absent without leave during training in France.
What is the Anne of Kiev Brigade?
The brigade was supposed to include 1,500 soldiers who have already been trained in Ukraine and will consist of two command posts, three infantry battalions, and comprehensive logistical support.
A train carrying the first batch of 100 armored vehicles for the brigade is set to depart from France for Ukraine, according to French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
The brigade will also receive Caesar howitzers, short-range air defense systems, anti-tank missile launchers, and other equipment, all of which the Ukrainian soldiers are trained to use and maintain.
Additionally, French Mirage 2000 fighter jets, modified to carry SCALP cruise missiles, are expected to arrive in Ukraine in the new year.
