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Ukraine Captures Two Chinese Soldiers Fighting For Russia

By Aakansha Malia

April 9, 2025
5:03 pm
Los Angeles, CA

Screenshot of a video of a Chinese soldier fighting with the Russian army captured in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. As reported by the X account of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy . (Photo: @ZelenskyUa)

As the war between Russia and Ukraine intensifies, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s latest shocking claim has caused a huge stir globally and among member parties. On April 9, Zelenskyy revealed in a social media post that Ukrainian troops had captured two Chinese citizens fighting alongside Russian forces. He added, “Our military captured two Chinese citizens who fought in the Russian army. This happened on the territory of Ukraine – in the Donetsk region.” Putting Beijing on the spot, the Ukrainian President went on to demand an explanation regarding their involvement in the invasion and stated that Ukrainian forces had seized all official documents and personal data from the Chinese soldiers. Zelenskyy further warned that China’s involvement in the war signals Putin’s intention to continue the conflict. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii

Putting Beijing on the spot, the Ukrainian President went on to demand an explanation regarding their involvement in the invasion and stated that Ukrainian forces had seized all official documents and personal data from the Chinese soldiers. Zelenskyy further warned that China’s involvement in the war signals Putin’s intention to continue the conflict. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced on Platform X that China’s charge d’affaires had been summoned for an explanation. She reiterated, “Chinese citizens fighting as part of Russia’s invasion army in Ukraine puts into question China’s declared stance for peace and undermines Beijing’s credibility as a responsible permanent member of the UN Security Council.”

China rejected the allegations and stated that their government is working with Kyiv to verify the information, further calling the claims ‘totally unfounded.’ Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated on April 9, “Let me stress that the Chinese government always asks Chinese nationals to stay away from areas of armed conflict, avoid any form of involvement in armed conflict, and in particular avoid participation in any party’s military operations.”

This development is crucial, as China has always proudly upheld its non-aligned stance regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since 2022. Beijing has, on several occasions, called for a “peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the conflict.” However, in 2022, Russia and China entered a ‘no limits partnership deal’ at the same time that Kremlin troops launched their all-out assault on Ukraine. In 2023, the volume of trade between the two countries amounted to around $240 billion—26% more than the previous year.

Despite its stance of ‘neutrality,’ China has failed to back its words with actions and continues to covertly supply weapons to Russia while cutting drone supplies to Ukraine. According to a report by the Financial Times, China went a step further by providing Russia with dual-use goods—electronics, machinery, and building materials used in both civilian and defense industries. Around 60% of the dual-use goods Russia imported last year came from China. Data shows that Chinese exports of these goods to Russia increased during the war. Exports of CNC machines, which are used in modern weapon production, such as for aircraft engine parts, tanks, and missiles, saw a sharp rise in 2022-2023. From around $6.5 million in the year before the Russian invasion, exports of Chinese CNC machines increased tenfold by July 2023, according to data published by the Russian statistics office.

Additionally, Moscow has received semiconductors, ball bearings, navigation devices, and steel and iron products worth billions of dollars from Beijing. In total, the volume of goods supplied by China to the Russian war machine increased from $5 billion in the first year of the war to $7 billion in the second year.

U.S. administration officials revealed last year that in 2023, 90 percent of Russia’s microelectronics came from China, which Russia has used to produce missiles, tanks, and aircraft. Nearly 70 percent of Russia’s approximately $900 million in machine tool imports in the last quarter of 2023 came from China. In addition, China and Russia have joined forces to manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) inside Russia. Many U.S. officials indicate that China-based companies such as Wuhan Global Sensor Technology Co., Wuhan Tongsheng Technology Co. Ltd., and Hikvision are providing optical components for use in Russian tanks and armored vehicles.

Meanwhile, China has always denied accusations of supplying Russia with weapons for use in Ukraine. Russia, on the other hand, continues to intensify its violent actions against Kyiv, making the prospects of Trump’s ceasefire and peace plan seem like a distant dream. A ceasefire appears unlikely, as talks between U.S. negotiators and Ukrainian and Russian officials have yielded no tangible results. As a result, Chinese support for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine raises more questions about the continuation of the fighting and the failure of Trump’s plans.