The Ukrainian military has launched an investigation into the 155th Mechanized Brigade—also known as the "Anne de Kiev" brigade—after mounting allegations of corruption, abuse of authority, and mass desertions tarnished the unit once hailed as a model of Franco-Ukrainian defense cooperation.

Trained and armed by France in 2024, the brigade was celebrated by Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky. But Ukrainian military prosecutors now accuse senior officers of running a bribery scheme tied to frontline bonuses. One arrested lieutenant colonel reportedly extorted over 920,000 hryvnias ($21,000) in March alone, with plans to continue in April.

Desertions and Equipment Shortfalls

The problems extend beyond corruption. Nearly 1,200 soldiers have reportedly deserted the unit, whose ranks once numbered under 5,000—half of them trained in France. According to Ukrainska Pravda, many of the missing soldiers never even reached the front, and some were redirected to patch manpower gaps elsewhere.

Defense journalist Yuriy Butusov described the brigade as suffering from "complete organizational chaos," lacking basic equipment like drones and electronic jamming gear, leading to heavy losses in its initial days of deployment.

Roughly 2,300 soldiers of the brigade received training in France and were equipped with VAB armored vehicles, Caesar self-propelled howitzers, AMX-10 RC light tanks, and various missile systems. French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed in January that at least 55 desertions occurred during the training phase in Mourmelon.

President Macron had personally visited the troops during their training in France, elevating the brigade as a public symbol of European military support for Ukraine.

High-Level Reshuffles and Further Probes

Brigade commander Dmytro Ryumshin was dismissed in December and is currently awaiting trial. Following new revelations, Ukrainian Ground Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapaty ordered an expanded internal inspection. “No one is untouchable,” he stated, pledging full accountability.

Meanwhile, new accusations surfaced this week against Colonel Taras Maksymov, who allegedly orchestrated ghost payments and further extortion schemes targeting subordinates.