Ukrainian president Voldymi Zelenki said on Tuesday that his troops had captured two Chinese men fighting Russian troops.
Zelensky said this was a clear indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin intended to continue the Ukrainian war and could threaten the ongoing peace negotiations mediated by US President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian officials also said the capture of Chinese soldiers, the first such case in more than three years of the war, raised questions about Beijing’s commitment to peace. China has long argued that it is a neutral political party in the war, calling for a ceasefire despite the strengthening of relations with Russia through the war.
Beijing has also so far avoided sending weapons and other military equipment for use in wars, but has played an important role in supporting the Russian economy and has been hit by an unprecedented wave of Western sanctions.
So, if confirmed, does the capture of Chinese soldiers in Ukraine suggest that Beijing is currently changing its policies and is directly involved in the war, including supporting talent to Russia?
what happened?
Zelenskyy was posted on X and said that the two Chinese had been captured by Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk region of the Ukrainian army. Russia occupied part of Donetsk along with other Ukrainian provinces in 2022. Zelensky wrote that the Army found identification, bank cards and “personal data” owned by captured Chinese citizens.
“We have information that suggests that the occupying unit has more Chinese than just these two,” writes Zelenskyy. He added that Kiev is continuing to investigate the issue and is contacting Beijing for response. According to Zelenskyy, the captured man is currently under the control of Ukrainian security services.
“Russia’s involvement in China, along with other countries, is a clear signal that Putin is going to do anything other than end the war, whether directly or indirectly, in this war in Europe,” Zelensky added, “This definitely needs to be addressed.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andri Sibiha said this would cast a shadow of doubt on China’s formal position in defending peace. “Chinese citizens fighting as part of Ukrainian Russian invasion forces will question China’s declared stance on peace and undermine Beijing’s credibility as a responsible permanent member of the UN Security Council,” Sibiha wrote in X-Post Tuesday.
Our army captured two Chinese men who were fighting as part of the Russian army. This happened in the territory of Ukrainian in the Donetsk region. It was found to be owned by identification documents, bank cards and personal data.
…pic.twitter.com/ekbr6hckql
– volodymyr Zelenskyy /волододир work зеленсkana (@zelenskyyua) April 8, 2025
How did China respond?
China has denied Zelensky’s claim that several Chinese people are fighting in the war.
“There is no basis for such claims. In fact, China’s position on Ukraine is very clear,” Lin Zian, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday.
“The Ukrainian side needs to properly see China’s efforts and constructive role in political resolution of the crisis.”
Have you ever reported that Chinese soldiers are fighting in Ukraine?
Yes, news outlets and social media posts have previously said that Chinese mercenaries are fighting in Ukraine.
French news outlet LeMonde reported on April 6 that it had identified social media accounts of 40 Chinese people who claim to have signed up with the Russian military. The outlet interviewed a 37-year-old Chinese man who joined the war as a foreign mercenary in July 2023 and then returned to China.
In October 2024, social media reported that Ukrainian forces had killed two Chinese mercensaries in Russia, US-based Newsweek Magazine reported. However, this was not supported by evidence and could not be independently verified by Newsweek.
Is China sending soldiers to fight for Russia?
No, even if Zelenskyy is right and the Chinese people are fighting in Ukraine on behalf of Russia, that doesn’t mean that Beijing sent them there.
Merchants from multiple countries arrived in Russia as tourists and joined the army in the battle against Ukraine. Several foreign mercens are also fighting on the side of Ukraine against Russia in the war. And many foreigners have claimed that for the past three years they have been forced to join the Russian or Ukrainian military after being promised other jobs.
What other foreign fighters are involved in the Russian-Ukraine War?
In 2022, Putin supported a plan to allow foreign fighters to join Russia in the war. Many South Asians, mainly from Nepal, India and Sri Lanka, joined as mercenaries in search of economic opportunities.
Officials from the Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimated that around 200 Nepalis were fighting in Russia by the end of 2023, but many estimate that there may be thousands of Nepalis on the battlefield.
In February, the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 127 Indian citizens were serving in the Russian military. It is unknown how many of these Indian citizens are still fighting in Russia. Last month, the ministry said 16 Indian citizens who served in the Russian military went missing, and the Indian government has contacted the Russian government to find them.
South Korea, the US and Ukraine claim that North Korean troops are fighting side by side with Russian soldiers in Kursk as they strengthen military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. Russia has not explicitly confirmed this. “But there’s a difference. The North Koreans were fighting against us on the Kursk front,” Zelensky said on Tuesday, combining a briefing with Belgian Prime Minister Bad de Weber. “The Chinese are fighting on Ukrainian territory,” Zelensky said.
Meanwhile, Colombia-based City Paper Bogota reported that in November 2024 more than 300 Colombian mercensaries fighting on the Ukrainian side were killed during the war. Some Sri Lanka and Indians are also fighting on the Ukrainian side.
The Western people have also joined the war and are fighting on the Ukrainian side. Many of these volunteer soldiers are American citizens. It is unclear how many Americans currently fighting in Ukraine. A CNN investigation released in January revealed that 20 Americans have disappeared in Ukraine, with a surge in casualties.
What is China’s attitude toward the Ukrainian War?
China has officially insisted on a neutral stance on war. Unlike Western countries that armed Kiev with cutting-edge weapons, Beijing says it does not provide lethal support to Russia or Ukraine.
“China welcomes all efforts aimed at promoting peace negotiations and will help establish a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework to achieve lasting peace and stability in Europe.”
However, China is a close political and economic ally of Russia and continues to buy discounts on Russian oil that helped fund Moscow amidst economic sanctions from the West.
Western companies withdraw business from Russia in February 2022 following a full-scale invasion of Kiev in Moscow. However, Chinese companies, including tech giants Alibaba and Didi, continued in Russia without shrinking. China’s exports to Russia have grown to fill the vacuum left behind by Western companies. In October 2024, China’s exports to Russia increased by 12.7% compared to the previous year, China’s customs data shows.
China also supports Russia in its UN war resolutions. In February, China was coming to vote for a UNGA resolution calling for “to promote comprehensive, fair and lasting peace in Ukraine.” In February 2023, China declined to vote for a UNGA resolution calling on Moscow to withdraw its troops from Ukraine. In April 2022, China voted against the UNGA resolution from the UN Human Rights Council to suspend Russia.
What’s the latest in the Russian-Ukraine Peace Meeting?
Since February, teams from Russia and Ukraine have met individually with US representatives for peace negotiations in Saudi Arabia. On March 25, the US and Russia announced the Black Sea contract in which Russia agreed to halt the use of armed force and halt the military use of commercial vessels in the Black Sea. Ukraine has agreed to these terms. All sides also agreed to a 30-day ceasefire over attacks on Russia and Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
However, Russia and Ukraine have since traded accusations of violating previously agreed terms. Putin also disagrees with a complete 30-day ceasefire in which Washington and Kiev will be greenlit.
On April 6th, Zelenskyy wrote to X, “Today’s Russian attacks included missiles fired from the waters of the Black Sea. A ceasefire at sea is more than just free navigation and food exports.
