China began verifying information with Ukraine regarding reports that two Chinese nationals were fighting alongside Russian forces in the Donetsk Oblast, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian at a briefing on 9 April.
On 8 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published a video showing a captured Chinese citizen. Ukrainian forces engaged in a fight with six Chinese fighters, two of whom were apprehended and are now in the custody of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).
Zelenskyy indicated that intelligence suggests a larger presence of Chinese citizens within Russian military units and emphasized that Russia’s enlistment of foreign nationals reflects Putin’s intent to prolong the war despite US efforts to mediate peace.
“The Chinese side is verifying relevant information with the Ukrainian side,” Lin Jian said, emphasizing that “the Chinese government has always asked its citizens to stay away from areas of armed conflict and avoid involvement in armed conflicts in any form.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that the participation of Chinese citizens in the Russian military “calls into question China’s proclaimed position on peace and undermines Beijing’s authority as a responsible permanent member of the UN Security Council.”
However, a Chinese spokesman maintained that China’s position on the Russo-Ukrainian war is “clear and unequivocal, and has won widespread approval from the international community.”
Meanwhile, the US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce described these developments as “disturbing,” highlighting China’s role as “a main enabler of Russia in the war,” supplying nearly 80% of Moscow’s dual-use goods.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, China has been claiming neutrality simultaneously supplying Russia with dual-use items like semiconductors and machinery, which can be used in military equipment.
A recent investigation revealed that China also provided Russia with critical minerals such as gallium, germanium, and antimony—key components in the production of drones, missiles, night-vision goggles, and other military equipment used in Ukraine.
Earlier, the Kremlin deployed thousands of North Korean troops to support Russia’s war effort in Kursk Oblast, which was partially occupied by Ukrainian forces.
