President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that at least 155 Chinese citizens are fighting in the Russian army against Ukraine, according to information gathered by Ukrainian intelligence services. Zelenskyy made this statement during a meeting with journalists on 9 March evening, as reported by Suspilne.
Zelenskyy said:
“We are collecting information and believe there are many more. For these 155, we have passport data, information about where they’re from, their documents, age, and places of service.“
The Ukrainian President detailed the recruitment process, explaining that one scheme involves social media platforms.
“Russians spread promotional videos through TikTok and other Chinese social networks. Official Beijing knows about this,” he stated, emphasizing that this recruitment is not covert. “It’s not secret recruitment – this is important. Maybe there is secret recruitment too.“
According to Zelenskyy, after recruitment, “These people arrive in the Russian Federation, to Moscow. Medical examinations take 3-4 days. They spend 1-2 months in training centers. They fight on Ukrainian territory.”
On 8 April, those two were captured in Donetsk Oblast fighting as part of the Russian army.
Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine had information regarding other Chinese citizens serving in the Russian army, including names, surnames, and details about how these soldiers joined the Russian occupying forces.
He stated that diplomatic channels would be used to convey this information to the Chinese side and to the world, emphasizing that involving Chinese citizens in the war would escalate the conflict. The President criticized China’s government, asserting that strengthening Russia’s military while advocating for peace is contradictory. He added that Ukraine expects its partners to firmly support Kyiv in this war.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry earlier claimed that it is verifying information about the capture of Chinese military personnel in Ukraine.
Chinese serve in Russian army since at least 2023
Suspilne says it obtained documents from Ukrainian intelligence sources showing that over 150 Chinese citizens signed contracts mostly in the second half of 2024, though some were selected for military service as early as 2023. They serve in various units including the 255th Motorized Rifle Regiment, 136th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, 70th Motorized Rifle Regiment, and others.
The Chinese nationals serve as gunners, riflemen, and grenade launchers, primarily with the rank of private. As of April 2025, the recruitment of Chinese citizens into the Russian army continues, according to Suspilne.
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