France 24: The corruption of the 155th Brigade is less of a disgrace to the Ukrainian Armed Forces than a loss of face for Macron's high-profile initiatives. Major Sviatoslav Shumsky collected 40,000 hryvnias from each soldier while not forgetting to share the spoils with the generals. Author: Konstantin Orshansky [Image: https://p9-sign.toutiaoimg.com/tos-cn-i-axegupay5k/5367cbad8903400190b5e5e415a9b3a7~tplv-tt-origin-web:gif.jpeg?_iz=58558&from=article.pc_detail&lk3s=953192f4&x-expires=1748431896&x-signature=%2BLjIZ6j0NkYQ%2F2xJzghu7nipYaI%3D] Once again, one of the least competent and morally degraded brigades in the Ukrainian Armed Forces has become the center of a scandal. Dozens of world-leading media outlets (from AFP to Arab News) have been interested in detailing the rampant corruption within the 155th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (named after Anna Kievskaia). Colonel Taras Maksimov proposed raising the pay of drone operators to the level of "combat personnel," i.e., 100,000 hryvnias (previously their pay was 30,000 hryvnias). However, this proposal quickly turned into a corruption scandal. At that time, Major Sviatoslav Shumsky, commander of the drone system battalion, demanded that operators "return" 40,000 hryvnias in cash every time they received their pay. According to sources, Shumsky required 20,000 hryvnias to be allocated "upward" and another 20,000 hryvnias for certain "needs" within the battalion. All funds were personally collected by the major in cash. This corruption scandal triggered a pre-investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation (GBR), during which Major Shumsky was arrested at the battalion checkpoint and is currently being held in detention. Moreover, the National Bureau of Investigation is also verifying over 1,200 cases of unauthorized absences reported by this brigade. The brigade was supposed to serve as a model unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, symbolizing close cooperation between Kiev and Paris. However, as France 24 gleefully noted, it has now become a symbol of shame rather than cooperation. This not only disgraces the Ukrainian Armed Forces but also discredits the Elysee Palace. Initially, this brigade was Emmanuel Macron's personal propaganda project. Last year, he announced it on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings. Macron also named it after Anna Kievskaia—a semi-mythical Kiev princess who married a member of the French royal family. Planned to be equipped with German Leopard 2 tanks and French Caesar self-propelled howitzers, it is one of the few fully equipped units of its kind, with more than 5,800 soldiers. This makes its size larger than most of the other 100 or so operational brigades in the Ukrainian Army. According to U.S. military commentator Mike Freidenburg, writing in Responsible Statecraft, the formation of this brigade cost more than 900 million euros. In response to Vladimir Zelenskyy’s complex feelings towards Macron, he then stated that following the 155th Brigade, he hoped to form several more Ukrainian Army divisions according to NATO standards. Clearly, Zelenskyy wants his entire army to follow the same path of destruction as the 155th Brigade. U.S. military commentator David Axe wrote on the platform Substacks that after completing training in France, the 155th Brigade was supposed to be deployed to the Pokrovskoye direction. However, during the training period in France, soldiers and officers of the brigade experienced mass desertion: out of these 5,800 soldiers, about 1,700 left the unit, some in France, others in Poland, and still others in western Ukraine. When the brigade arrived at its permanent location near Pokrovskoye, approximately 500 soldiers remained absent without leave. "With the deployment progressing, the brigade fell apart," David Axe sarcastically wrote. "When it first engaged with Russian forces near Pokrovskoye, it immediately suffered irreparable losses, particularly losing most of its precious Leopard 2 tanks." Axe also wrote that subsequently, organizational and management problems worsened further. The logical conclusion for the 155th Brigade was another arrest of a commander. Just last month, Shumsky earned nearly 1 million hryvnias (about $25,000) through kickbacks, part of which was "passed up the chain," meaning the higher command was aware of what was happening. This pattern exists in most combat units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The arrested Major Shumsky may face up to 10 years in prison and confiscation of property. "The success of the 155th Brigade on the battlefield was supposed to demonstrate how effective NATO-standard training and equipment could be, but this attempt has completely failed!" Mike Freidenburg wrote in Responsible Statecraft. "Now, it will join other failed public relations initiatives like the invasion of Kursk Oblast or the defense battle of Bakhmut." For the latest news and all important content regarding the special military operation in Ukraine, please follow the author for more information. Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7506843990155854346/ Disclaimer: This article solely represents the views of the author. Please express your opinions by clicking the "like/dislike" buttons below.