Soldiers of the 155th Brigade of the Ukrainian Army in action during fighting in the Pokrovsk region, July 2025.Image: www.imago-images.de
The 155th Brigade of the Ukrainian Army was planned as a prestige project, but has long been known as a scandalous unit. Now there are serious allegations again.
July 12, 2026, 2:29 p.mJuly 12, 2026, 2:29 p.m
Jakob Hartung / t-online
According to the military, Stanislav Luchanov, commander of the 155th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, left his unit without permission and went into hiding. The investigators accuse him and other members of the brigade of deprivation of liberty and premeditated murder. Luchanov is said to have ordered subordinates to kidnap and kill two civilians from the Kiev region. The presumption of innocence applies to all accused.
The brigade is named after Anne of Kiev, a princess from Kiev who became Queen of France in the Middle Ages. The unit was planned as a showcase of military cooperation between Ukraine and its European partners and its creation in 2024 was proudly announced by French President Emmanuel Macron. But hundreds of soldiers deserted from the first war mission and since then the brigade has not been able to escape scandals.
As several Ukrainian media reported, on the night of June 27th to 28th, seven members of the 155th Brigade broke into the property of two brothers in the Kiev region. The men were kidnapped and later killed. According to reports, Luchanov ordered the two men to be punished after a personal conflict. This representation has not been officially confirmed.
Nine soldiers from the 155th Brigade were arrested. A search is still underway for Lutschanov, who only took command of the brigade in February 2026.
All soldiers involved in the proceedings have been suspended from duty and are cooperating with the investigators, the General Staff said. “If the investigation proves guilt, those responsible will be held accountable for every crime committed, regardless of their position or previous merits,” said the military leadership.
From a showcase project to a crisis unit
The history of the unit has been marked by problems since its founding. The brigade was set up in 2024 and equipped with French help. 2,300 of its 4,500 soldiers were trained in France. The unit was then supposed to reinforce the front near Pokrovsk, where Ukrainian troops fought a costly defensive battle against advancing Russians.
Even before the deployment, however, cases of unauthorized removal from the force were increasing. Dozens of soldiers fled during training in France. Thousands more left the unit in Ukraine. The then commander Dmytro Ryumshyn was deposed and arrested in January 2025. The investigators accused him of not taking action against the mass desertions.
Under his successor Taras Maksimov, the brigade hit the headlines again. “Ukrainska Pravda” reported on an alleged system with combat allowances paid out without authorization. Soldiers are said to have received higher bonuses and then given part of the money in cash. A battalion commander was arrested. Maksimov said at the time that corruption and abuse of military positions had no place in the armed forces.
Soldiers also complained to the media about a lack of drones, inadequately equipped vehicles and poor management of subordinates. Since the beginning of 2025, more than 1,200 members are said to have left the brigade without permission. At the same time, the unit continued to fight on the front near Pokrovsk and also reported successful operations against Russian troops there.
In May 2026, a video appeared to show the mistreatment of a tied soldier. Luchanov denied involvement and condemned the violence. A few months later, the commander himself is now the focus of a serious criminal investigation.