Ukrainian troops captured two Chinese nationals fighting for Russia in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday.
The incident marks the first time Chinese citizens have been publicly confirmed as involved in Russia’s war effort on Ukrainian territory.
Zelenskyy said the two men were captured during fighting near the villages of Tarasivka and Bilohorivka in Donetsk Oblast. Identification documents, bank cards, and personal data were found in their possession.
The Chinese nationals who were captured are now in the custody of Ukraine’s Security Service.
Our military has captured two Chinese citizens who were fighting as part of the Russian army. This happened on Ukrainian territory—in the Donetsk region. Identification documents, bank cards, and personal data were found in their possession.
We have information suggesting that… pic.twitter.com/ekBr6hCkQL
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 8, 2025
“We have information that there are much more than two such Chinese citizens in the occupier’s units than just these two,” Zelenskyy’s post on X reads. “We are currently verifying all the facts—intelligence, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the relevant units of the Armed Forces are working on it.”
In a post on X, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he had summoned China’s chargé d’affaires to protest the incident and demand an explanation.
We strongly condemn Russia‘s involvement of Chinese citizens in its war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as their participation in combat against Ukrainian forces.
We have summoned China’s chargé d’affaires in Ukraine to the Foreign Ministry to condemn this fact and demand… https://t.co/LoXHDoIQsu
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) April 8, 2025
“Chinese citizens fighting as part of Russia’s invasion army in Ukraine puts into question China’s declared stance for peace and undermines Beijing’s credibility as a responsible member of the UN Security Council,” Sybiha wrote on social media.
Russia has used foreign troops and weapons throughout its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. Last fall, North Korea sent an estimated 12,000 soldiers to Russia’s Kursk region. Two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukraine in January.
Zelenskyy said Russia’s involvement of China, along with other countries—whether directly or indirectly—in the war in Europe is a clear signal that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no intention of ending the conflict.
“He is looking for ways to continue fighting. This definitely requires a response. A response from the United States, Europe, and all those around the world who want peace,” Zelenskyy said.
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, described China’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war as disturbing, adding that “China is a major enabler of Russia, supplying nearly 80% of the dual-use items Moscow relies on to sustain its war effort.”
China has not commented publicly on the report.
