Ukraine has accused Russia of recruiting Chinese nationals to fight in the ongoing war, with President Volodymyr Zelensky claiming to have intelligence on 155 Chinese citizens fighting alongside Russian forces.
The Ukrainian government has compiled detailed lists of Chinese nationals fighting for Russia, including their names, passport information, and military assignments. Zelensky emphasized that the number of Chinese nationals fighting for Russia could be much higher than the 155 identified so far. He suggested that Russia was using social media to recruit these mercenaries and that China was aware of the efforts, but stopped short of accusing the Chinese government of directly authorizing it. China has dismissed the allegations, calling the claims “groundless,” and reiterated Beijing’s longstanding position of urging its citizens to avoid conflict zones.
The claim comes after the capture of two Chinese nationals fighting with Russian forces in eastern Ukraine. Zelensky indicated that Ukraine was willing to exchange the captured Chinese nationals for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia.
