On results of Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff meeting on 155th SMB "Anne of Kyiv"
According to Censor.NET’s sources, Zelenskyy listened to information about the situation in the 155th Mechanised Brigade, and was most interested in the circumstances of the desertion of several dozen soldiers from the brigade in France and the unauthorised departure of some 1,700 soldiers during the formation of the brigade in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy stressed that he was taking the investigation under his personal control.
The Main Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defence, the General Staff, the Land Forces Command, the State Bureau of Investigation, and the Security Service of Ukraine were instructed to submit official reports to the President on these events in the near future.
The main question - what justifies the desire to create a brigade from scratch without experienced command personnel, without technical specialists, without the minimum required training time, without drones, without electronic warfare equipment, at a time when experienced and combat-ready brigades are not being replenished - was not addressed.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, accused the command of the 155th Brigade of deserting soldiers in France, as they allegedly did not spend time communicating with the soldiers. The fact that the brigade command acted in France in accordance with the training plan approved by the Land Forces Command and under the control of a representative of the OC "West" was not commented on. The fact that newly recruited men were sent to France, with no experienced sergeants or platoon commanders, was also not addressed.
The entire command of the 155th Brigade has already been dismissed or is in the process of being dismissed by O. Syrskyi's decision - the brigadier, the chief of staff, all deputy brigadiers, some other staff officers and some combatants.
The commander of the OC "West", responsible for the formation of the brigade, Shvediuk, was sent to the 155th and 33rd Mechanised Brigades to personally monitor the situation and "assist in management". Shvediuk remains in office, although he was responsible for recruiting and training most of the personnel in isolation from the brigade commanders, for the chaotic movements of the 155th's personnel, and for sending people to France who had not even passed the Basic Military Training.
Now there are permanent commissions at the brigade's command post, and staff officers explain to all inspectors and controllers who have to submit their reports. All this during intense combat operations.
At this time, the 155th Mechanised Brigade is continuing to heroically defend Pokrovsk, despite great difficulties. For some reason, the brigade's main striking force, a division of the latest 155mm "Caesar" guns, was taken away from it and assigned to another brigade. Also, some VAB armoured vehicles and some "Leopard" tanks were assigned to other brigades. I hope this is temporary and that the brigade will soon get back all its assets, especially the guns, to use all its assets under a single command.
There are not enough drones to support the mechanised and rifle battalions, but the brigade drone battalion has begun to receive drones.
Nevertheless, the soldiers of the 155th Brigade continue to gain combat experience in combat, unfortunately at the cost of unnecessary losses.
The "Anne of Kyiv" infantrymen are fighting heroically, the 155th is doing everything possible and impossible to hold Pokrovsk and defend Ukraine with integrity, so all the brigade's fundraising needs to be supported and assisted motivated soldiers, of which there are many thousands in the brigade - many more than the AWOL. There are many capable people in the brigade. Among the new commanders appointed are people with reputations, for example, one of the most competent battalion commanders according to the reviews of the 14th Mechanised Brigade was appointed as the new deputy brigadier. Not everything is problematic, but the new commanders will have to deal with things during intense fighting, when most people are in the positions and it is difficult to even get to know them.
Some specialists, well-motivated and trained in France, for example, operators of the "Milan" ATGM, are used not in their speciality but as infantrymen. I hope that as the brigade gains experience, it will be able to retain its personnel and self-organise, our soldiers need the support of society.
Yurii Butusov, Censor. NET
