Ground Forces Commander reports to Zelenskyy on issue with French-trained 155th Brigade

Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, has stated that he is keeping the case of the 155th Brigade named after Anna of Kyiv under control. A journalistic investigation highlighted the problems of this particular brigade. A special hotline will be set up to check the effectiveness of the actions taken to improve the situation.

Source: Major General Drapatyi on Facebook

Quote: "The other day I reported to the supreme commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces [President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – ed.] on the situation in the 155th Brigade and the decisions taken by the Ground Forces Command to support the unit and resolve the issues raised by both the soldiers and journalists. I explained the situation and named the reasons and those responsible. I also met with the brigade command and French journalists who are currently working in the unit, visiting the positions to see with their own eyes how the soldiers perform combat missions and operate the weapons provided by France.

I believe that it was too early to go public before all the circumstances were established, but today I can inform the public about the measures taken by the Ground Forces Command to stabilise the situation in the 155th Brigade.

All the events related to the creation of the 155th Brigade happened before my appointment to the Ground Forces Command. However, I consider it my duty to respond to the problems of the subordinate unit and solve them systematically – at all levels that depend on me."

Details: Drapatyi said that since the new brigade was formated and armed from scratch and in collaboration with a foreign country, which was done the first time and in a fairly short timeframe – just a few months, – "no one had such experience before, so it was impossible to foresee all the peculiarities and details of this process".

A project of this scale was a challenge for the Ground Forces Command, and not all services worked perfectly. However, Drapatyi said that the French side had fulfilled its obligations to Ukraine.

Drapatyi stressed that most of the systemic shortcomings committed by the Ground Forces Command, the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and the Operational Command at all stages of the 155th Brigade's formation had been analysed and assessed, and solutions were already being implemented.

Currently, the focus is on manning the brigade with experienced officers and commanders of all levels. "I am dealing with this issue personally. I am ready to consider everyone, please contact me at this email address: 155bde@mil.ua," Drapatyi noted.

He also said that the Ministry of Defence was working to provide the brigade with "maximum support".

To strengthen the brigade, a special group of psychologists is working with the units, which has already brought some results, such as the return of servicemen who left the unit without permission, the commander said.

Quote: "...by my decision, a special hotline of the Commander of the Ground Forces for the servicemen of the 155th Brigade will be operating starting today. In addition to the official daily reports, I want to have direct contact with the soldiers and hear from them to understand how our decisions affect their motivation and the real state of affairs.

And finally. I believe that the 155th Brigade is promising and will prove itself. Yes, it will take time and efforts of many to correct the mistakes made during the formation. However, the newly created Ukrainian brigade named after Anna of Kyiv can and should become the real Gallic Rooster – a symbol of France: proud, unbreakable and ready to fight for freedom."

Background:

• Ukrainian journalist Yurii Butusov claimed at the end of December 2024 that the brigade had been improperly formed and supplied. Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation later confirmed it was conducting an investigation into charges of abuse of power and desertion.
• Later, it became known that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took the situation with the 155th Brigade under his personal control during the meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
• Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated that he had focused on strengthening the capabilities of the 155th Mechanised Brigade's unmanned systems units and addressing "problematic issues that need to be resolved."
• A French army official confirmed incidents of desertion among Ukrainian soldiers undergoing training in France.
• Ukraine's General Staff reported on 7 January that the 155th Brigade was performing combat missions on the Pokrovsk front in full strength, having been reinforced with drones and additional equipment.

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