155th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)

{{Infobox military unit

| unit_name = 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade

| native_name = 155 окрема механізована бригада

| image = 155th Infantry Brigade Insignia.png

| image_size = 220

| caption = Shoulder sleeve insignia

| dates = 2024–present

| country = {{Flag|Ukraine}}

| allegiance =

| branch = {{army|Ukraine}}

| type = Mechanized infantry

| size = 5,800

| command_structure = Operational Command West

| garrison = Mala Lyubasha, Rivne Oblast

| nickname = Anne of Kyiv Brigade

| patron = Anne of Kyiv

| motto = They shall not pass

| battles = {{tree list}}

| website = [https://www.facebook.com/155ombr Official Facebook page]

| notable_commanders = Colonel {{ill|Dmytro Ryumshin|uk|Рюмшин Дмитро Євгенович}}
Colonel {{ill|Taras Maksymov|uk|Максімов Тарас Вікторович}}

| identification_symbol_2_label = Field Insignia

}}

The 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade ({{langx|uk|155 окрема механізована бригада|translit=}}) is a brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces formed in 2024 and partially trained in France.{{Cite web |date=2024-11-14 |title=A France-trained force aims to strengthen Ukraine's defenses at a critical point in war |url=https://apnews.com/article/france-ukraine-russian-invasion-weaponry-military-5b1a638da2c69bd4f636b136939c2195 |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=AP News |language=en}} In January 2025, it became the subject of controversy after it was reported that around 1,700 members of the brigade had gone AWOL during its formation, which led to the arrest of the brigade commander.{{Cite web |last=Loh |first=Matthew |title=Ukraine's French-trained brigade was meant to be a flagship project. Now its ex-commander is detained with a $2.1 million bail. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-french-brigade-anne-kyiv-ryumshin-2-million-bail-2025-1 |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}

History

=Formation=

The 155th Infantry Brigade was formed in 2024 as part of an initiative to expand the Ukrainian Ground Forces with the creation of nine additional brigades. This effort, announced by Commander Oleksandr Pavliuk, was a direct response to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.{{cite web |date=2024-05-10 |title=Ukraine to create 10 new brigades to prepare for new Russian offensive |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/05/10/7455192/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525195239/https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/05/10/7455192/ |archive-date=2024-05-25 |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=Ukrainska Pravda}} The brigade is known by the nickname "Anne of Kyiv" after the princess who married French King Henry I at Reims cathedral to become Queen of France from 1051 to 1060.{{Cite news |last=Irish |first=John |date=November 15, 2024 |title=Ukrainian troops train for trench warfare near France's WW1 battlefields |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-troops-train-trench-warfare-near-frances-ww1-battlefields-2024-11-15/}}{{Cite web |date=2024-10-13 |title=Lignes de défense – La brigade n°155 "Anne de Kiev" de l'armée ukrainienne est née en France |url=https://www.rfi.fr/fr/podcasts/lignes-de-d%C3%A9fense/20241013-la-brigade-n%C2%B0155-anne-de-kiev-de-l-arm%C3%A9e-ukrainienne-est-n%C3%A9e-en-france |access-date=2024-10-14 |publisher=RFI |language=fr}}

The formation of the brigade began in March 2024.{{cite web |last=Butusov |first=Yuri |date=31 December 2024 |title=Справжня історія "Анни Київської": ДБР порушило справу щодо 155-ї бригади, озброєної у Франції та кинутої під Покровськ непідготовленою, із 1700 СЗЧ |trans-title=The real story of "Anna of Kyiv": SBI opened a case against the 155th brigade, armed in France and thrown unprepared near Pokrovsk, with 1,700 AWOL |url=https://novynarnia.com/2024/12/31/spravzhnya-istoriya-anny-kyyivskoyi-dbr-porushylo-spravu-shhodo-155-yi-brygady-ozbroyenoyi-u-francziyi-ta-kynutoyi-pid-pokrovsk-nepidgotovlenoyu-iz-1700-szch/ |website=novynarnia.com |language=uk}} The brigade was created under the provisions of a Ukrainian mobilization law, which lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 and introduced penalties for draft evasion.{{cite web |last1=Kullab |first1=Samya |last2=Kozlowska |first2=Joanna |date=2024-05-18 |title=Ukraine's divisive mobilization law comes into force as a new Russian push strains front-line troops |url=https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-mobilization-kharkiv-599753d08518b46e22bf38d1360cce86 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525195238/https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-mobilization-kharkiv-599753d08518b46e22bf38d1360cce86 |archive-date=2024-05-25 |access-date=2024-05-25 |work=Associated Press News}} The law also allowed convicts to join the armed forces. The existence of the 155th Infantry Brigade was officially acknowledged on 8 May 2024, marking it as the first of the newly announced brigades to take shape. Rivne city council supported the brigade by donating equipment to meet the soldiers' needs during its early stages of formation.

=Training in France and Poland=

The brigade was officially announced in France during the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 6, 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/01/04/ukraine-s-anne-of-kyiv-brigade-trained-in-france-then-dispersed-to-the-front-line-suffers-setbacks_6736700_4.html|title=Ukraine's 'Anne of Kyiv' brigade, trained in France then dispersed to the front line, suffers setbacks|date=4 January 2025|via=Le Monde}} By November 2024, the first wave of 2,000 soldiers had undergone training in eastern France (Camp de Châlons{{Cite web|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ukraine/probleme-bei-in-frankreich-ausgebildeter-ukrainischer-brigade-110221333.html|title=Probleme bei in Frankreich ausgebildeter ukrainischer Brigade|date=10 January 2025|website=FAZ.NET}}), with plans for the brigade to eventually grow to a strength of 4,500 troops. Its training and equipping were carried out under a European Union-funded program that had already trained 60,000 Ukrainian troops. France played a pivotal role, providing extensive training, equipment, and weaponry. This included 18 CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, 18 AMX-10RC armored fighting vehicles, and 128 VAB armored personnel carriers.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-09 |title=Emmanuel Macron visite des soldats ukrainiens formés en France, Volodymyr Zelensky reçu jeudi à Paris |url=https://www.france24.com/fr/info-en-continu/20241009-macron-rencontre-des-soldats-ukrainiens-en-formation-en-france |access-date=2024-10-14 |publisher=France 24 |language=fr}} In October, the brigade was visited and inspected by French President Emmanuel Macron.{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/france-ukraine-russia-macron-training-nato-261312057c4d8253ec2c6c4b947be089|title=Macron inspects Ukraine troops at a French military camp ahead of a meeting with Zelenskyy|first=Sylvie|last=Corbet|website=Associated Press|date=9 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203025636/https://apnews.com/article/france-ukraine-russia-macron-training-nato-261312057c4d8253ec2c6c4b947be089|archive-date=3 December 2024|access-date=2 January 2025}} The brigade returned to Ukraine in November, along with its integral Leopard 2A4-based tank battalion trained in Poland.{{Cn|date=January 2025}}

=Pokrovsk offensive and desertions=

In November 2024,{{Cite web |date=2025-01-03 |title=Ukraine investigating French-trained brigade after reports of desertions, mismanagement |url=https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-investigating-french-trained-brigade/ |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=The Kyiv Independent |language=en}} the 155th Brigade was deployed south of Pokrovsk to help hold positions including Shevchenko.{{Cite web|url=https://censor.net/ua/resonance/3525111/sytuatsiya-pid-pokrovskom-sytuatsiya-bilya-kurahovogo|title=Критична обстановка, яка вимагає негайних рішень: Бутусов про бої біля Покровська та Курахового|website=censor.net}} It reportedly suffered heavy losses during its first few days of combat.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-155-mechanized-brigade-france/33262437.html|title=The Woes Of The 155th: A French-Trained Brigade's Problems Highlight Bigger Ukrainian Difficulties|first1=Yevhenia|last1=Kytaiva-Rusetska|first2=Nataliia|last2=Semenova|first3=Zoriana|last3=Stepanenko|first4=Mike|last4=Eckel|work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=3 January 2025|via=www.rferl.org}} It had been split and its elements assigned to the experienced brigades fighting in the same area, the 25th Airborne Brigade and the 68th Jaeger Brigade.

On 14 December, Ukrainian journalist {{Ill|Yuri Butusov|uk|Бутусов Юрій Євгенович}} brought attention to the problems within the brigade in a report on his YouTube channel, which was followed up with an article published on 31 December 2024.{{cite news |last=Barnes |first=Joe |date=2 January 2025 |title=Flagship Ukrainian brigade trained in France goes AWOL |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/01/02/ukrainian-soldiers-go-awol-before-shot-fired/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=4 January 2025 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph}}{{Cite web |title=Более тысячи ушли в СЗЧ. Что произошло со 155-й бригадой "Анна Киевская", которая воевала под Покровском |trans-title=More than a thousand went AWOL. What happened to the 155th brigade "Anne of Kyiv", which fought near Pokrovsk |url=https://strana.today/news/476748-jurij-butusov-zajavil-o-massovom-dezertirstve-v-brihade-vsu-anna-kievskaja.html |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=Strana.ua |language=ru}}{{Cite web |last=Korshak |first=Stefan |date=16 December 2024 |title=High-Profile French-Trained Ukrainian Brigade Loses Commander Days Before Going to Combat Line |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/post/43953 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241231080018/https://www.kyivpost.com/post/43953 |archive-date=31 December 2024 |access-date=2 January 2025 |website=Kyiv Post}} According to this article, the brigade had suffered from serious organizational problems since its inception. Operational Command West, responsible for the formation of the brigade, lacked the resources, manpower and command staff needed to create a new unit. The manning of the brigade started only in June, but in July and August more than 2,550 soldiers were taken away to replenish other units, effectively negating four months of work. By the time the brigade was sent to France for training in October, there were 935 instances of soldiers being AWOL, and 50 soldiers are known to have deserted in France.

The latter raised questions among the French leadership, which prompted the Ukrainian Stavka to launch an investigation by the Ukrainian SBI to determine who is responsible for the desertions. As a result, the brigade commander, Colonel Dmytro Ryumshin, was removed from his post just days after returning from France on November 30 (other sources state that Ryumshin left command on December 12). While the brigade command was in France, 700 more newly recruited men stationed in Ukraine went AWOL without ever seeing their commanders. After the removal of the commander, the Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi sent a commission consisting of the OC West commander {{Interlanguage link|Volodymyr Shvediuk|uk|Шведюк Володимир Петрович}} and chief of staff {{Interlanguage link|Oleksandr Seletsky|uk|Селецький Олександр Миколайович}} to improve the combat effectiveness of the brigade. On 30 December, Seletsky died, reportedly from a heart attack. Additional 198 men went AWOL during the first week of December. The Kyiv Post reported that by 4 January 2025, the brigade had reassigned all of its CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, most of its VAB APCs, and a portion of its Leopard 2 tanks to other Ukrainian formations.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kyivpost.com/post/44997|title=Ukrainian Army – Finally – Admits 'Shortfalls' in High-Profile 155th Brigade Armed and Equipped by France|first=Stefan|last=Korshak|website=www.kyivpost.com}}

The Ukrainian General Staff reported on 7 January that the 155th Mechanized Brigade was conducting combat operations on the Pokrovsk front, having been reinforced with drones and additional equipment. Measures had been taken to improve discipline and reduce desertions.{{cite news |author= |date=2025-01-07 |title=French-trained Ukrainian brigade receives additional reinforcements and performs tasks in full strength – General Staff |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/01/7/7492420/ |publisher=Ukrainska Pravda |access-date=2025-02-08 |language=en}}

Major General Mykhailo Drapatiy, Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, admitted on 8 January that the problems in the 155th Brigade were real, but that he was confident the brigade would become combat-effective.{{cite news |last= Korshak |first= Stefan |date=2025-01-30 |title= ANALYSIS: Ukraine's Attempt to Create Top-Quality Combat Brigades Fast Didn't Work |url= https://www.kyivpost.com/analysis/46316 |publisher= Kyiv Post |access-date=2025-02-08 |language=en}}

Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi visited the positions of the 155th Brigade on the Pokrovsk front on 23 January and said that the situation in the brigade was gradually improving after reports of desertions, poor command and training.{{cite news |last= Fornusek |first= Martin |date=2025-01-23 |title= Syrskyi sees 'gradual' improvement in scandal-hit French-trained brigade's capabilities |url= https://kyivindependent.com/syrskyi-sees-gradual-improvement-in-scandal-ridden-155th-brigades-capabilities/ |publisher= The Kyiv Independent |access-date=2025-02-08 |language=en}}{{cite news |last=Romanenko |first=Valentyna |date=2025-01-23 |title=Ukraine's commander-in-chief: French-trained 155th Brigade gradually acquires combat capabilities |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/01/23/7494940/ |publisher=Ukrainska Pravda |access-date=2025-02-08 |language=en}}

In February 2025 the 155th Brigade was still deployed south of Pokrovsk.{{cite news |last1=Kuzakov |first1=Andriy |last2=Kushnir |first2=Maryan |date=2025-02-26 |title=Roiled By Desertions And Scandal, Can Ukraine's French-Trained 155th Brigade Redeem Itself? |url= https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-france-brigade-desertions/33328498.html |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |access-date=2025-03-18 |language=en}}

In an interview on 5 March an officer of the Brigade claimed that they continued to hold the north-western part of Shevchenko and that the Russians were unable to break through the Ukrainian defences due to the significant losses inflicted by the brigade.{{cite news |last1=Tsuba |first1=Valeriia |last2=Gusiev |first2=Glib |date=2025-03-05 |title=The Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to stabilize the front near Pokrovsk. What is happening there? Babel asked the commanders of three units that are located in this direction |url= https://babel.ua/en/texts/115955-the-armed-forces-of-ukraine-are-trying-to-stabilize-the-front-near-pokrovsk-what-is-happening-there-babel-asked-the-commanders-of-three-units-that-are-located-in-this-direction |publisher=babel.ua |access-date=2025-03-18 |language=en}}

By 14 March, Ukrainian forces had reportedly gradually regained control of settlements near Pokrovsk, with the 155th Brigade supporting the 425th Separate Assault Regiment in recapturing part, if not most, of Shevchenko.{{cite news |last=Query |first=Alexander |date=2025-03-14 |title=Putin Claims Victory Over Donbas While Ukraine Gains Ground |url=https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/putin-claims-victory-over-donbas-while-ukraine-gains-ground-6741 |publisher=United24 |access-date=2025-03-18 |language=en}}

=Arrest of Commander=

On 20 January 2025, former brigade commander Dmytro Ryumshin was detained by the SBI and charged with inaction of the military authorities committed under martial law, which is punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years. The SBI stated that Ryumshin failed to inform law enforcement authorities of a significant number of AWOL cases and didn't take measures to prevent them. In particular, the colonel unreasonably included unmotivated men in the lists of persons scheduled for training in France, some of whom were previously detained for trying to illegally cross the border of Ukraine.{{Cite web |last=Ланчуковська |first=Тетяна |date=2025-01-20 |title=ОГП: Затримано екскомандира 155 бригади ЗСУ, який допустив масове СЗЧ підлеглими |trans-title=OGP: Ex-commander of 155th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine detained for allowing massive AWOL by subordinates |url=https://news.liga.net/ua/politics/news/ohp-zatrymano-ekskomandyra-155-bryhady-zsu-iakyy-dopustyv-masove-szch-pidlehlymy |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=LIGA |language=uk}} On 6 February 2025, Ryumshin's bail was reduced from 90 million hryvnias (2,160,980 USD) to 50 million hryvnias (1,200,540 USD).{{Cite web|url=https://babel.ua/en/news/115166-former-commander-of-the-155th-brigade-ryumshyn-was-kept-in-custody-but-bail-was-reduced|title=Former commander of the 155th brigade Ryumshyn was kept in custody, but bail was reduced|date=6 February 2025|website=babel.ua}}