Ukraine says more than 150 Chinese citizens fighting for Russia

Stay in view of the free updates

Simply subscribe to War in Ukraine Myft Digest – it is delivered directly to your inbox.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Beijing of not doing anything to prevent Russia from recruiting Chinese citizens to fight in Ukraine, saying that 155 of these recruits have already been deployed in the battlefield, and many of them may follow soon.

The comments of the Ukrainian President raises questions about Beijing’s allegations of neutrality in the conflict and can raise tensions between China Western governments warned against support to Russia.

Speaking to journalists at the Presidential Office on Wednesday, Zellinski said that the Ukrainian intelligence had identified 155 Chinese citizens who signed contracts with the Russian armed forces to fight in Ukraine.

The president said he believed that “the real number is much higher.”

Beijing Foreign Ministry said earlier on Wednesday that China has always asked its citizens to “avoid any form of participation in armed conflict” and that the Ukrainian allegations that many of them were fighting alongside the Russian forces “have no basis in the facts.”

But Zelinski insisted that the Chinese leadership was aware of Russia’s hiring of its citizens and did nothing to stop it. “Senior Chinese leaders are aware,” he said. “They know.”

The president said through the Russian military documents that he said was obtained by the Ukrainian intelligence, and the president said that the Chinese recruits offered great salaries and granted immigration documents and payment cards. He added that they underwent four days of medical examinations and received up to two months of military training.

The age of Chinese forces ranges between 19 and 56, according to the documents, which Zelinski participated with the Venangal Times and other media times. The documents list 168 names, including some recruits who have not yet been published.

They are included as rifles, snipers, artillery, and the reconnaissance soldiers and acquired the leader and the special leader. Four are inserted as connected to drone units, indicating that they have received training for modern war.

Zelenskyy also provided more details about Two Chinese fighters were captured this week by the Ukrainian forces In the eastern Donetsk area, where Russian forces have intensified their attack in recent weeks.

The president said that the men, between the ages of 31 and 33, were in the seizure of the state security ceremony in Kiev. They were the first Chinese citizens to take the prisoner during the war.

Zelinski said that the Russian army was announcing for men in China through social media, especially the Chinese -owned application Tiktok.

He said Kiev had provided the United States with information about Chinese fighters, and he hoped that President Donald Trump would “respond” to the development.

On Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Tami Bruce called on the involvement of Chinese citizens in the “annoying” war, adding that Beijing was “a major empowerment factor for Russia in the war in Ukraine” providing nearly 80 percent of the double commodities that support the Moscow war effort.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrei Sibha said on Tuesday that he called for China China in Kiev to demand an explanation, describing the participation of Chinese citizens as “deep rudeness” and a trusted strike in Beijing as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

On Wednesday, the Kremlin refused to comment.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lynn Jian said that he was “verifying information with the Ukrainian side,” but he refused to claim that many of its citizens were fighting for Russia.

“The Ukrainian side needs to see China’s effort properly and the constructive role of the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis,” Lin said.

Iran has provided military equipment and Kyiv says North Korea has sent more than 11,000 soldiers to Russia. Western and Ukrainian officials say that nearly 5,000 North Korea soldiers were killed or injured while they were fighting in the Russian Corsc region since they started fighting last fall. They have not yet crossed the borders to Ukraine.

Moscow has also recruited mercenaries from Cuba, India, Yemen and many Central countries from Asia and Africa.

Additional reports by Winji Ding in Beijing