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

France has fully fulfilled its commitments to train Ukrainian military personnel from the 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Anna Kyivska.

“This is a complete training model that has only been implemented by France so far, and it has been highly appreciated by our Ukrainian partner,” the French Ministry of Defense stated in response to a request from Radio Liberty regarding the scandal surrounding the brigade.

In the fall of 2024, France trained 2,300 fighters from the Ukrainian brigade. They received training directly on French equipment designated for Ukraine, and after completing their training, these soldiers returned home with the equipment, as reported to Radio Liberty by the French Ministry of Defense.

The ministry did not comment on reports that the brigade trained by the French armed forces has become the subject of an investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) in Ukraine.

“It is the Armed Forces of Ukraine that organized the selection of Ukrainian military personnel for forming this brigade and managing the processes. Also (and this is natural), the Ukrainian armed forces determine the conditions for deploying the brigade on Ukrainian territory,” emphasized the French Ministry of Defense.

In the administration of President Emmanuel Macron, when asked to comment on media reports, they advised to refer to the French Ministry of Defense.

The brigade, part of which was trained and prepared by the French side, is currently fighting in the Pokrovsk direction. Journalist Yuriy Butusov disclosed facts regarding its formation and supply on December 31, which he described as “complete organizational chaos.”

According to the journalist, this has led to mass casualties within the brigade from the first days of fighting near Pokrovsk. He specifically highlights instances of mass desertion. Notably, 50 individuals left the brigade directly in France and requested political asylum.

In Ukraine, the number of deserters from the brigade before its deployment to the front was around 1,700.

The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is investigating the facts reported in the media regarding the 155th Mechanized Brigade named after Anna Kyivska, with proceedings being conducted under articles concerning abuse of power and desertion, as stated by SBI communications advisor Tetiana Sapyian to Radio Liberty.

According to Yuriy Butusov’s information, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold a Supreme Commander-in-Chief meeting on Friday, January 3, where the situation surrounding the 155th brigade will be addressed.

Background. Recall that journalist Butusov reported on the catastrophic situation in the 155th brigade, which underwent training in France. From the very first day at the front, there were significant losses due to poor management and lack of training, which Butusov attributed to high-ranking military officials.