NATO Ally Reports Desertions of Ukrainian Troops Training in Europe

Dozens of Ukrainian troops undergoing military training in France have deserted their unit, a French army official has said.

“There have been a certain number of desertions, but they remain very marginal given the volume of people who have undergone training” The anonymous French army official told news agency AFP. “They were in French barracks, they had the right to go out,” noting that the French do not criminalize desertion.

The 155th “Anne of Kyiv” Mechanized Brigade, formulated as a flagship project for Ukrainian soldiers to be trained and given equipment by France, has a total of approximately 5,800 troops, with about 2,300 having received training in France.

Newsweek has contacted France’s Defense Information and Communication Delegation and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine via email for comment.

Why It Matters

Ukrainians deserting a brigade while undergoing training in France could signifying a shift in mentality towards the war with Russia, and Kyiv’s ability to continue fighting in it.

Both Russia and Ukraine have suffered high losses in the full-scaled war which began in February 2022. Ukraine’s forces are still weathering a monthslong onslaught by Russian forces, which have been boosted by the arrival of North Korean troops.

Needing more troops, desertion has become a significant problem for Ukraine. Prosecutors in the first four months of 2024 pursued nearly 19,000 soldiers, who either abandoned their posts or deserted, according to the Ukrainian parliament. In November, the country changed the law to allow first-time deserters to return without punishment.

What To Know

About 2,300 members of the 155th “Anne of Kyiv” Mechanized Brigade, most of whom were conscripts with no combat experience, have been trained by the French army in France. They were accompanied by 300 Ukrainian supervisors, French media reported.

The brigade named after Anne of Kyiv, a princess who married French King Henri I in the 11 century, aims to impart technological knowledge to aid Ukraine’s defensive strategies.

It has also been the subject of recent allegations of mismanagement.

An investigation by Kyiv-based journalist Yuri Butusov for news outlet Y found 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers left the brigade before engaging in combat, with more than 50 leaving while in France. Butusov blamed Ukraine’s military leaders absentia for allowing the desertion, saying they “continue to waste lives and state funds on new projects, instead of strengthening experienced and combat-ready brigades.”

The report has sparked an investigation by Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).

What People Are Saying

Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: “I paid special attention to increasing the capabilities of the unmanned systems unit of the 155th mechanized brigade, as well as to problematic issues that need to be resolved. I gave all the necessary orders.”

Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces: “There are problems, and there were problems in staffing, training, and partially in the command staff. This is all consciously analyzed, and certain conclusions have been drawn.”

What Happens Next

Ukraine’s SBI investigation remains ongoing. “It is too early to talk about any preliminary results,” Ukrainian news outlet Suspilne Media reported on January 2.