AFP reports that the French General Staff acknowledged that "several dozen" individuals have deserted from the 155th Brigade "Anna Kyivska" in France.

An anonymous source from the AFP agency within the French General Staff confirmed that during training in France, several dozen personnel from the 155th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, known as "Anna Kyivska," deserted.

"There were a few desertions, but they remain very marginal compared to the overall number of trained personnel," the agency quoted its source as saying.

"They were in French barracks, and they had the right to leave," he added.

The source also noted that desertion is not a criminal offense in France, which is why the French prosecutor could not arrest the Ukrainian serviceman who left his unit without permission.

France has committed to training and equipping half of the brigade named after Anna Yaroslavna, the daughter of the Kyiv Prince Yaroslav the Wise and the wife of King Henry I, who ruled France in the 11th century.

Background. It is worth recalling that journalist Yuriy Butusov reported on the catastrophic situation in the 155th Brigade "Anna Kyivska," which was undergoing training in France. From the first day at the front, there were significant personnel losses due to poor command and lack of training, which Butusov attributes to high-ranking military officials.

According to him, during the training in France, about 50 individuals left the brigade and requested political asylum.

As per Butusov's information, President Volodymyr Zelensky took the situation regarding the 155th OMBr "Anna Kyivska" under personal control during the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff meeting.

Earlier, the French Ministry of Defense responded to the scandal surrounding the 155th Brigade "Anna Kyivska," which was trained by French military forces.