Journalist Butusov highlighted the dire situation in the 155th brigade "Anna Kyivska," which was undergoing training in France.

The State Bureau of Investigations has initiated a criminal case concerning the circumstances surrounding the formation of the 155th Mechanized Brigade "Anna Kyivska," which is currently stationed near Pokrovsk and previously underwent training in France.

Journalist and editor of "Censor.Net," Yuriy Butusov, reported this in a social media post.

He pointed out that he conducted an extensive investigation to uncover the reasons behind the catastrophic situation faced by the brigade, which resulted in significant losses among personnel and equipment, as well as mass AWOL (absent without leave) incidents.

Butusov holds the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff, the Ministry of Defense, and the General Staff responsible, stating they "continue to squander lives and state funds on new projects instead of strengthening experienced and combat-ready brigades. They try to absolve themselves of responsibility by shifting it onto the officers, who are placed in a hopeless situation by the actions of the SBI," he writes.

Thus, the journalist believes the problem lies in the fact that instead of training new fighters and replenishing existing brigades with experienced command, "Supreme Commander Zelensky devised a plan for our NATO allies to form 14 new brigades," for which neither commanders nor organizational capabilities could be found.

The cost of establishing a new brigade in France is estimated at €900 million – 80% of this amount was supposed to be invested directly in technical equipment and the training process of the fighters. France fulfilled all its obligations regarding the armament and training of the brigade, the journalist emphasizes.

However, during the formation stage of the brigade in France, 50 servicemen left without authorization.

"This raised questions among the French leadership regarding the seriousness of the Ukrainians' commitment to implementing such a costly project. A scandal erupted, the issue was raised at the Staff, and the SBI opened a criminal case," the post states.

According to Butusov, the 155th Brigade began forming (in Ukraine) in March 2024. An experienced officer, Dmytro Ryumshin, was appointed as its commander, which was encouraging. The Operational Command "West," led by General Shvedyuk, with Colonel Seletskiy as Chief of Staff and General Pavlyuk as the Commander of the Ground Forces, was responsible for the formation and staffing of the brigade.

"But from the very beginning, it became clear that the OK 'West' had neither command staff, nor soldiers, nor weapons, nor resources to create a new unit. The formation of the 155th Brigade was marked by organizational chaos from day one, literally in all components," Butusov stresses.

Due to poor organization, mass AWOL incidents occurred in the brigade during the spring and summer, and by the time the brigade traveled to France for training, nearly 1000 personnel had left without authorization, "making it clear that this would continue in France," he notes.

The main issue, according to Butusov, is that during the summer months, the command constantly took minimally trained soldiers from the brigade to "fill gaps" in other areas on the front.

"In July and August, over 2550 servicemen were taken from the 155th Brigade to reinforce other units. This meant that almost all fully capable personnel were removed from the brigade, effectively nullifying four months of previous work, and then… an order was issued for all remaining to prepare for a trip to France at the end of September," he emphasizes.

"In other words, the command sent not an organized and manageable military unit capable of learning a lot to France, but rather a crowd of people just dressed in military uniforms," the journalist points out.

He adds that, despite this, most of the brigade's soldiers sent to France did not flee but prepared. Additionally, in Ukraine, instructors from OK "West" were training another 4000 fighters recruited from TCC to replenish the brigade.

With the absence of the brigade's staff and commanders (who were in France), the command of OK "West" and the KSV began transferring untrained and uncoordinated personnel to the Pokrovsk area.

"Since the brigade's headquarters was in France, the quality of training for most personnel who remained in Ukraine at the OK 'West' training center was low. A poorly organized and unmanageable group cannot be trained effectively," instructors from the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, who were involved in the combat training of the 155th Brigade, are quoted in the post.

After returning from France and the arrival of Brigade Commander Ryumshin in Pokrovsk, a commission brought charges against him for AWOL incidents, leading to his dismissal.

"Commander Ryumshin, who had just managed to establish a minimum level of control in this chaos and was trying to salvage the situation, was removed from his position, and several staff officers and one of the commanders were also dismissed, with new commanders appointed who had no understanding of the situation in the brigade. As a result, the chaos in management only intensified," Butusov writes.

From the first day of combat operations, significant personnel losses began due to poor management and lack of training, he notes.

Furthermore, Butusov emphasizes that although the "Anna Kyivska" Brigade was fully staffed with infantry, artillery, and armored vehicles, it lacked drones – essential tools for reconnaissance and control in modern warfare, rendering it practically unfit for combat operations.

Funds for drones were raised by volunteers, but the main problem remains the lack of trained operators. The 155th Brigade received 17 million UAH for the purchase of a batch of drones from the Ministry of Defense only ten days after entering combat, as stated in the investigation.

"At the same time, the brigade did not receive any funds for electronic warfare. As a result, the new 'Leopard-2A4' tanks and VAB armored vehicles suffered losses during their first attempts to be deployed on the front due to enemy drones," Butusov notes.

The division of modern 155 mm self-propelled howitzers "Caesar," along with all other brigade artillery and mortars, did not manage to complete a full shooting course and is learning to shoot while performing combat tasks.

Still, he emphasizes that most soldiers of the 155th Mechanized Brigade at the front are trying to fulfill their duties honestly.

"However, as a result of such a criminal attitude towards the lives of soldiers, the 155th Brigade has faced significant losses since the first days. There are commanders who lead assaults because there is no one else, and there are soldiers who fight for every position until the end, performing true acts of heroism from the very first days; I have seen this myself near Pokrovsk," the journalist emphasizes.

He called for accountability for those responsible for the current situation. In particular, Butusov identifies the following individuals as culpable:

- President Volodymyr Zelensky, "who made unrealistic promises to [French President] Macron and did not control the feasibility of his directives at all";

- Minister of Defense Umierov, "who paid no attention to how this important combat brigade was being prepared and equipped";

- Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Syrskiy, who "is unable to organize a planned process of organization, preparation, and application of reserves";

- Commander of the Ground Forces Pavlyuk and Commander of OK "West" Shvedyuk, "who knew what was happening but blindly followed the inadequate order to send a non-combat-ready unit to the front."

Butusov emphasizes that due to this leadership attitude, the defense of the city of Pokrovsk is on the brink of failure, urging support for the 155th Brigade to save lives.

Background. It was reported on November 15 that France completed the training of the Ukrainian brigade named after Anna Kyivska, consisting of 4500 fighters. French officers involved in the training believed that the brigade could become a game-changing force on the battlefield.