**Ukraine’s Ground Forces Chief Acknowledges Desertions and Mismanagement in French-Trained Brigade**
The commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, Mykhailo Drapatyi, has admitted to significant problems within the country‘s French-trained 155th Mechanized Brigade. The brigade was created with support from Western partners, including France, to train new military units equipped with heavy weaponry.
**High Desertion Rates and Poor Organization**
Drapatyi acknowledged that the brigade had high desertion rates and poor organization, during a press conference on January 6. He stated that these issues were being used as a “negative lesson” to improve the brigade’s performance in the future.
**Investigation Reveals Problems**
A recent investigation by Ukrainian media outlet Censor.net revealed that soldiers of the unit had suffered losses and gone AWOL (absent without leave) in large numbers due to poor command and organization within Ukraine’s military leadership. The investigation pointed out that despite France fulfilling its commitments for training and arms provision, problems in the creation and management of the brigade led to 1,700 cases of soldiers going AWOL before it fired a shot.
**Equipment Shortages and Lack of Combat Experience**
According to the investigation, the failure to provide critical equipment, such as drones and electronic warfare tools, hampered the brigade’s combat readiness when it was deployed in November. Drapatyi also acknowledged that desertion was often driven by fear and a lack of combat experience, with many soldiers having served less than two months.
**Reforms and Improvements**
Despite the challenges, Drapatyi remained optimistic about the brigade’s future. He emphasized that the military is actively addressing the brigade’s issues and that lessons learned from these difficulties are being used to improve the brigade and avoid similar issues in the future. The commander confirmed that there were problematic issues with the command staff and the training process, but that they are all being resolved now.
**Calls for Reform**
The report comes amid growing calls for reform within Ukraine’s military leadership as Kyiv grapples with intensifying pressure in its war with Russia.
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