Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Ukrainian intelligence had identified 155 Chinese citizens fighting alongside Russian forces, a day after Ukraine said two Chinese nationals were captured in the country.
The Chinese nationals had been recruited through advertisements, including on social media, Zelensky said in a briefing Wednesday.
China has consistently denied any involvement in the war.
A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier Wednesday that claims that many Chinese citizens are fighting in Ukraine were “groundless.”
“It is important to emphasize that the Chinese government has always instructed its citizens to stay away from areas of armed conflict and avoid getting involved in the conflict in any form, especially avoiding participation in any party’s military operations,” spokesperson Lin Jian said in a press conference.
A Ukrainian security agencies document seen by CNN purports to show a list of more than 150 Chinese citizens who have served with the Russian armed forces, most of whom are said to be in the lowest military positions.
Most of the contracts in the document are dated “2024” and straddle different military units.
The list has not been verified by CNN.
“We are collecting information and we believe that there are more, many more,” Zelensky said Wednesday, before claiming that Beijing was aware of Russians placing recruitment videos on Chinese social networks.
“These people arrive to the Russian Federation, to Moscow. Medical examinations last three to four days. Training centers are for one to two months. They fight on the territory of Ukraine,” he added.
Asked whether he thought the presence of Chinese nationals in Ukraine was a result of official Beijing policy, Zelensky said: “I don’t have an answer to this question yet. The Security Service of Ukraine will work on it … We are not saying that someone gave any command, we do not have such information.”
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, citizens from nations including Britain and the United States have been known to volunteer alongside Ukrainian forces, against the advice of their own governments.
Some have been killed in action on the front line. CNN has previously reported that Ukrainian embassies have helped recruit foreign fighters.
The allegations of Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russian forces follow claims by Ukraine that two Chinese nationals fighting in the Russian army have been taken prisoner in eastern Ukraine.
Zelensky said Tuesday that Ukrainian forces fighting in the Donetsk region obtained the Chinese nationals’ documents, bank cards and personal data.
The Ukrainian president on Wednesday added that Ukraine was “ready to exchange” the two individuals for Ukrainian prisoners of war.
The Kremlin spokesperson on Wednesday declined to comment on the claim that Chinese nationals were allegedly captured in Ukraine. Beijing said on Wednesday that it was “currently verifying” the situation with Ukraine.
Ukrainian military says Chinese national paid to join Russian army
One of the Chinese nationals captured fighting in eastern Ukraine had paid to join the Russian military through an intermediary in China, with the goal of becoming a Russian citizen, according to the Ukrainian military.
The Chinese detainee, who Ukrainian authorities said Tuesday was taken as a prisoner of war alongside a second Chinese national, was likely speaking under duress.
“According to the prisoner, he joined the Russian military through an intermediary in China, paying RUB 300,000 ($3,500) for the opportunity to enlist in the Russian Armed Forces,” the communications department of the Luhansk Operational Tactical Group said in a statement to Ukrainian media.
“He stated that his primary motivation was the desire to become a serviceman and obtain Russian Federation citizenship. He also mentioned that some group members had legal issues in China,” the statement to news outlet Ukrainska Pravda said.
“He reported that he had received training in the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk Oblast as part of a group of Chinese nationals. The training covered basic military skills and was conducted without an interpreter, relying on gestures and a mobile translator for communication.”
The Ukrainian military tactical group said the man was taken prisoner when a Russian assault group chose to surrender under fire from Ukrainian soldiers.
“The individual is currently cooperating with Ukrainian investigative agencies, and his identity and citizenship have been confirmed. He noted that his family was aware of his intentions to go to Russia, although he officially travelled as a tourist,” the statement to Ukrainska Pravda said.
