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Commander of Ukraine's French-trained brigade arrested in murder probe / Photo: SAUL LOEB - AFP
Commander of Ukraine's French-trained brigade arrested in murder probe
The commander of Ukraine's scandal-hit "Anne of Kyiv" army brigade has been arrested as part of a murder probe, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday.
It is the latest scandal to hit the unit, which was supposed to be a flagship fighting force and symbol of French support for Ukraine, but has been rocked by mass desertions, low morale and equipment shortages since it was formed in 2024.
The arrest was revealed as Zelensky landed in Paris for a meeting with European backers on pressuring Russia to end the war and delivering air defence systems to Kyiv.
Ukrainian police say the unit's commander, Stanislav Luchanov, is implicated in the kidnapping and murder of two brothers who disappeared from the Kyiv region in June.
Police say the brothers insulted a woman during an altercation over loud noise. The woman's husband enlisted other soldiers to "take revenge" on the pair.
Some Ukrainian media reported the woman involved was Luchanov's wife, while the police said only that her husband was a serving member of the military.
The bullet-ridden bodies of the brothers were discovered last week, said a police statement.
A total of 10 people have been arrested in the case, Zelensky said.
"They include service members and the former commander of the 155th brigade," he said in a social media statement.
Police said Luchanov faced charges of murder and organising a serious crime, without specifying exactly what role he played in the incident.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The 155th Brigade is known as "Anne of Kyiv", named after a Medieval Kyiv princess who married into the French royal family.
The creation of the unit was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron alongside Zelensky on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in 2024.
Hundreds of its soldiers were partially trained in France.
But it has been rocked by several scandals, including hundreds of reports of desertion.
Luchanov was suspended after he left the unit without authorisation, Ukraine's army command said on Saturday.
Amid a public outcry, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko acknowledged the case has "sparked a broader discussion about the behaviour of certain service members in the rear."
"It is unacceptable to resolve conflicts using gang-style methods," he said on social media.
O.Bruneau--PS
