Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of Ukraine’s Floor Forces, acknowledged vital challenges throughout the French-trained one hundred and fifty fifth "Anne of Kyiv" Mechanized Brigade, together with excessive desertion charges and poor group, throughout a Jan. 6 press convention.

"After all, it is a unfavorable lesson, a unfavorable expertise, nevertheless it must be transformed into some form of preventative motion," Drapatyi mentioned.

The final's remarks adopted a media investigation that claimed troopers of the unit, at present deployed close to Pokrovsk, have suffered losses and gone AWOL (absent with out go away) in giant numbers attributable to poor command and group inside Ukraine’s army management.

The one hundred and fifty fifth Brigade, shaped with help from Ukraine’s Western companions, was meant to be a flagship venture to coach new army items outfitted with heavy weaponry. French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement in June that France would supply coaching and army provides was a part of this initiative.

The brigade was meant to encompass about 5,800 troops, however fewer than 2,000 have undergone coaching in France. Regardless of Paris fulfilling its commitments for coaching and arms provision, an investigation led by Yurii Butusov, editor-in-chief of Ukrainian media outlet Censor.web, pointed to issues within the creation and administration of the brigade allegedly resulting in 1,700 circumstances of troopers going AWOL from the unit earlier than it fired a shot.

In response to Butusov, the failure to offer vital gear, similar to drones and digital warfare instruments, hampered the brigade’s fight readiness when it was deployed in November.

Ukraine investigating French-trained brigade after reports of desertions, mismanagementThe statement comes following a media investigation that claimed that soldiers of the unit, deployed near Pokrovsk, have suffered heavy losses and went AWOL in large numbers due to poor command and organization on Ukraine’s side.The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

"There are issues, and there have been issues in staffing, coaching, and partially within the command employees," Drapatyi mentioned. "That is all consciously analyzed, and sure conclusions have been drawn."

The final added that classes realized from these difficulties are getting used to enhance the brigade and keep away from comparable points sooner or later.

Drapatyi acknowledged these challenges, mentioning that desertion was usually pushed by worry and a scarcity of fight expertise.

"There are a lot of manifestations of unauthorized abandonment of army items, however there are additionally causes for this," he mentioned. "There’s the worry of the personnel […], and typically the shortage of sensible expertise in fight operations."

Of the 1,924 troopers despatched to France, solely 51 had greater than a yr of army service, whereas 1,414 had served lower than two months, in response to the Censor.web investigation.

The commander emphasised that the army is actively addressing the brigade’s points. "I verify that there have been problematic points with the command employees and the coaching course of, and they’re all being resolved now," he mentioned.

Regardless of the challenges, Drapatyi remained optimistic in regards to the brigade’s future. "The brigade is creating, preventing, inflicting losses on the enemy," he mentioned.

The report comes amid rising requires reform inside Ukraine’s army management as Kyiv grapples with intensifying strain in its battle with Russia.

As Russians inch closer to Pokrovsk, civilians in the area are left with a choice — stay under fire or leave life behindBILOZERSKE, Donetsk Oblast — Less than 30 kilometers north of embattled Pokrovsk, a market was in full swing in the town of Bilozerske. Meters away, however, a crowd has gathered in front of a building, nervously awaiting the doors to open. Tensions were visibly mounting as the doors remained close…The Kyiv IndependentEmmanuelle Chaze