Chinese nationals captured fighting for Russia, says Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that his country’s forces had captured two Chinese nationals fighting for Russia in eastern Ukraine — a development that could further strain the fragile international efforts toward peace.

Posting on X alongside video footage of one of the alleged fighters, Zelenskyy warned that Kyiv has “information suggesting there are many more Chinese citizens” involved. He stopped short of claiming they were acting on Beijing’s orders.

“Russia’s involvement of China, along with other countries, whether directly or indirectly, in this war in Europe is a clear signal that Putin intends to do anything but end the war,” Zelenskyy said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Beijing, a close diplomatic ally of Moscow, has not publicly acknowledged any direct support for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now entering its third year. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has not responded to Kyiv’s claims, and Reuters could not independently verify the allegations.

Ukrainian security official Andriy Kovalenko described the captured men as mercenaries but provided no further details.

Zelenskyy also contrasted the development with earlier reports of North Korean forces fighting in Russia’s western Kursk region, noting, “The Chinese are fighting on the territory of Ukraine.”

At a joint press conference with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said six Chinese fighters had been engaged by Ukrainian troops in total, and he hoped the incident would lead the U.S. to reassess its stance.

“We really hope that after this situation, Americans will talk more with Ukrainians, and then with Russians,” Zelenskyy said.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce called the reports “disturbing” but said Washington had not independently confirmed the capture. She reiterated concerns about China’s role in supplying dual-use goods to Russia, describing Beijing as a major enabler of Moscow’s war effort.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry summoned China’s chargé d'affaires in Kyiv to demand an explanation. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine “condemns the presence of Chinese nationals among Russian combatants” and expects clarification from Beijing.

China and Russia signed a “no-limits” partnership just days before Moscow’s February 2022 invasion. Beijing has since positioned itself as a potential broker in the conflict but has maintained strategic ambiguity over its exact role.

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