President Zelensky Tightens Control Over Troubled 155th Mechanized Brigade "Anna Kyivska"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has taken personal command of the situation surrounding the 155th Mechanized Brigade "Anna Kyivska," according to Reports. The move comes amidst allegations of desertion and mismanagement within the brigade, which is currently operating on the Pokrovsky direction.
In a Sunday statement, veteran journalist and ‘Censor.Net’ Chief Editor Yuri Butusov revealed that President Zelensky had reviewed the situation of the brigade, paying especial attention to the case of dozens of soldiers who deserted to France and the unauthorized departure of 1,700 servicemen during its formation in Ukraine.
Subsequently, the President ordered relevant authorities, including the Main Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff, the Command of the Land Forces, the State Bureau of Investigation (GSR), and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), to submit official reports.
Butusov reported that following these developments, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), General Valeriy Zaluzhny, blamed the leadership of the 155th Brigade for the desertions, citing lack of communication with the soldiers. Consequently, a series of senior officers, including the brigade commander, chief of staff, and several deputies, along with some battalion commanders, have been or are in the process of being relieved of their duties.
Currently, continuous commissions and staff officers are at the brigade’s command post, providing explanations and submitting reports to all relevant auditors.
Butusov also revealed that due to the ongoing investigation, the brigade has lost its unit of new 155mm ‘Caesar’ howitzers, some VAB armored vehicles, and several ‘Leopard’ tanks, which have been reassigned to other brigades. Furthermore, operators of the Milan anti-tank missile system, who were trained in France, are now being deployed as infantry within the brigade.
Earlier, Butusov had already reported on the subpar recruitment and equipping of the newly established 155 Mechanized Brigade "Anna Kyivska." The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has since confirmed that it is probing the case under articles related to abuse of power and desertion.
