Over 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers reportedly deserted before reaching the frontlines after receiving training in France. The troops were part of a new brigade, the 155th Mechanized Brigade, which was being prepared with advanced weapons and equipment,

The statement comes following a media investigation that claimed that soldiers of the unit, deployed near Pokrovsk, have suffered heavy losses and went AWOL in large numbers due to poor command and organization on Ukraine's side.

Russia's head of diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, said as much at a recent press conference. On December 26, the day after Christmas, Sergei Lavrov claimed that France had tried to establish “a dialogue on the Ukrainian question” with Moscow,