The French army claims that “a few dozen” Ukrainian soldiers deserted during their training in France. These unauthorized departures would be “very marginal” compared to the total number of soldiers trained.
In the fall of 2023, nearly 2,300 Ukrainian soldiers supervised by 300 Ukrainian commanders were trained in France. The French army declared this Monday January 6 that it had observed a “certain number” of desertions within the brigade “Anne of Kyiv.
According to the French army, desertions within this unit bearing the name of a Ukrainian princess were “very marginal” compared to the number of soldiers trained in the Western European country. A survey carried out by the Ukrainian media Censor.net reports that there are around fifty of them.
“We do not criminalize desertion in France”declared a French general staff official. “They were in French barracks, they had the right to leave.
Kyiv investigates French-trained brigade
During a press conference, the commander of the Ukrainian ground forces Mikhailo Drapaty confirmed this Monday “problems” within the “Anne of kyiv” brigade
“There was numerous unauthorized departures within military unitsbut there are also reasons for this”he said. “There is fear of personnel and sometimes lack of practical experience in combat operations.”
In a separate statement, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced last Thursday that Kyiv would conduct a comprehensive review of the command of Ukraine’s ground forces to determine the scale and reasons for the desertions.
“Victory requires a thorough analysis of experience and an honest understanding of mistakes”said Mr. Umerov.
Earlier, the Commander of the Land Forces, General Mykhailo Drapatyi, also said that “fundamental reforms” would be introduced to strengthen the branch.
An amnesty law for the first deserters
On November 29, a new law came into force in Ukraine, allowing military personnel who have deserted to return to military service without having to face criminal charges.
The law, valid only until January 1, 2025, only applied to first unauthorized absences.
Days after the new amnesty law came into force, Ukraine’s military law enforcement service said about 1,000 soldiers were reported to have returned each day.
The new law required unit commanders to extend the contract or reinstate returning service members within 72 hours. Those who returned had their monetary allowances, provisions, equipment benefits and social guarantees fully restored. They were able to return to any unit except the one they left.
Official statistics show that cases of unauthorized absences increased threefold in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. In total, the number of soldiers who left their unit without authorization was estimated to several tens of thousands.
The challenge of mobilization in Ukraine
These revelations come against a backdrop of growing concerns about the mobilization of Ukrainian troops, facing increased pressure from Russia in the east of the country.
Until April 2024, only Ukrainian men aged 27 or older could be called up to fight. The conscription age was lowered to 25 in order to increase the number of soldiers available.
ADVERTISEMENTLast October, US lawmakers reportedly pressured Kyiv to lower the draft age from 25 to 18. A senior Biden administration official reportedly said that “Ukraine’s current situation is such that it needs more troops to fight.”
Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly refused to give in to this request, pointing to the missing equipment, with only a quarter of the brigades being equipped. The Ukrainian president reiterated his request for support from his Western allies.
Additional sources • AP
