The French General Staff reported instances of desertion among Ukrainian soldiers during training exercises.

The number of deserters in France is minimal when compared to the total number of those who have undergone training. This was reported on Monday, January 6, by the publication France Info, citing an interview with an official from the French General Staff.

A representative of the French army stated that there were isolated cases of desertion among the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but their numbers remain negligible. He noted that the soldiers were housed in French barracks and had the right to leave. They were subject to the disciplinary regime established by the Ukrainian command.

“In France, desertion is not a criminal offense. If someone deserted, the French prosecutor did not have the authority to arrest that person. The authority granted to the Ukrainian authorities on French territory is merely disciplinary,” the official from the General Staff added.

Journalists clarify that 2,300 military personnel from the 155th Mechanized Brigade named after Anna of Kyiv were trained in France. Recently, Yuriy Butusov stated that 1,700 servicemen from this brigade left service voluntarily before the unit made its first shot. According to his investigation, from March to November 2024, 1,726 military personnel left the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Of these, 50 left during training in France.

The State Bureau of Investigation has opened a criminal case regarding the circumstances surrounding the formation of the 155th Mechanized Brigade “Anna of Kyiv.” The case is under the oversight of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Volodymyr Zelensky, Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi.