SЗЧ and more: Butusov revealed the dire situation in the 155th Brigade Anna Kyivska, which was undergoing training in France.

The State Bureau of Investigations has opened a criminal case regarding the circumstances surrounding the formation of the 155th Mechanized Brigade "Anna Kyivska", which is currently stationed near Pokrovsk and previously underwent training in France. The brigade has experienced mass SZCH (combat losses) and casualties. Specifically, the brigade was not equipped with drones, which resulted in the loss of its new "Leopard-2A4" tanks and VAB armored vehicles during their initial attempts to deploy them on the front lines. As a consequence, the defense of Pokrovsk has come close to collapse.

Journalist Yuriy Butusov reported this. He noted that he conducted an investigation to determine the reasons behind the catastrophic situation with the brigade, which led to significant losses among personnel and equipment, as well as mass SZCH - referring to thousands of such cases. Butusov accused the leadership of the High Command, the Ministry of Defense, and the General Staff of responsibility in this matter.

The cost of creating a new brigade in France is estimated at 900 million euros - 80% of this funding was supposed to be invested directly in technical equipment and the training process for soldiers. France fully met all obligations regarding the armament and training of the brigade, emphasizes the journalist. However, during the formation of the brigade in France, 50 servicemen left voluntarily.

"This raised questions among the French leadership regarding the seriousness of the Ukrainians' commitment to implementing such an expensive project. A scandal erupted, the issue was raised at the High Command, and the SBI opened a criminal case," writes Butusov.

According to him, the 155th brigade began to form in Ukraine in March 2024. An experienced officer, Dmytro Ryumshin, was appointed as its commander, which was promising. The Operational Command "West," led by General Shvedyuk, Chief of Staff Colonel Seletskiy, and Commander of the Ground Forces General Pavliuk, was responsible for the formation and staffing of the brigade.

"But from the very beginning, it became clear that the OK "West" lacked command personnel, soldiers, weaponry, and resources to create a new unit. The formation of the 155th brigade was organizational chaos from the first days in virtually all components," stresses Butusov.

Due to poor organization during the spring and summer, the brigade experienced mass SZCH, and at the time when the brigade went to train in France, nearly 1,000 personnel left voluntarily. Butusov identifies the main problem as the continuous withdrawal of minimally trained servicemen from the brigade by the leadership during the summer months to "fill gaps" on other sections of the front.

"In July and August, over 2,550 servicemen were taken from the 155th brigade to reinforce other units. This means that almost all fully capable personnel were removed from the brigade, effectively nullifying all the previous four months of work, and then… an order was issued for all remaining personnel to prepare for a trip to France at the end of September. Thus, the command of the Ground Forces and OK "West" sent an unorganized and uncontrolled military unit, which could learn a lot, rather than a trained and cohesive force," notes the journalist.

At the same time, Butusov adds that the majority of the brigade's soldiers sent to France did not flee but prepared. Additionally, another 4,000 fighters, recruited from TCK (Territorial Recruitment Centers), were being trained in Ukraine to reinforce the brigade. In the absence of the brigade's headquarters and combat commanders (who were in France), the command of OK "West" and KSV began to send untrained and uncoordinated personnel to the Pokrovsk area.

Upon returning from France and the arrival of the brigade commander Ryumshin in Pokrovsk, a commission accused him of SZCH, leading to his dismissal. Several staff officers, one of the combat commanders, were also removed, and new commanders were appointed who had no understanding of the situation in the brigade.

"As a result, the chaos in management only intensified," writes Butusov.

From the first day of combat missions, significant personnel losses began due to poor command and lack of training, notes Butusov. Furthermore, as the journalist emphasizes, although the "Anna Kyivska" brigade was fully staffed with infantry, artillery, and armored vehicles, it lacked drones - essential means of reconnaissance and command in modern warfare, which rendered it effectively unsuitable for combat operations.

Funds were raised by volunteers for drones, but the main issue 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 10 days after entering combat, according to 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 deploy them on the front lines due to enemy drones," notes Butusov.

He still emphasized that the majority of the 155th Mechanized Brigade's soldiers on the front lines are trying to fulfill their duties honestly. However, the 155th brigade has faced significant losses from the very first days.

"There are combat commanders who lead assaults because there is no one else, and there are soldiers who fight for every position until the last, performing real feats from the first days; I have seen this myself near Pokrovsk," emphasizes the journalist.

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

• President Volodymyr Zelensky, "who made unrealistic promises to French President Macron and did not control the feasibility of his directives at all";
• Defense Minister Umierov, "who paid no attention to how such an important combat brigade is being prepared and equipped";
• Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Syrskiy, who "is unable to organize a planned process for the organization, training, and deployment of reserves";
• Commander of the Ground Forces Pavliuk and Commander of OK "West" Shvedyuk, "who knew what was happening but blindly followed an inadequate order to send a non-combat-ready unit to the front."
  
  

According to Butusov, due to such attitudes from the leadership, the defense of Pokrovsk found itself on the brink of collapse. The journalist urged support for the 155th brigade to preserve lives.

Brigade "Anna Kyivska"

In mid-November 2024, it became known that France had completed the training of a special unit to support Ukraine's defense at a critical moment in the war - the 155th Brigade "Anna Kyivska". At that time, ABC News emphasized that the "Anna Kyivska" brigade, consisting of up to 4,500 troops, could become a significant force on the battlefield, including infantry, artillerymen, engineers, and other specialists.

It was reported that 2,000 fighters were trained in France. Most of them had been mobilized not long ago, so they had only basic training before arriving in France for training in September. Another part of the brigade underwent training directly in Ukraine. During the training in France, Ukrainian soldiers practiced defensive and assault tactics for trench fortifications, similar to those they might encounter on the front lines.

France provided this brigade with weaponry. According to French military sources, the brigade's arsenal included 18 light tanks AMX-10, 18 Caesar howitzers mounted on trucks, 128 armored personnel carriers, anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems, as well as other military equipment and supplies.