Ukraine has captured two Chinese nationals fighting for Russia, raising serious concerns about China’s potential direct involvement in a conflict they’ve claimed neutrality in while deepening their “no limits” partnership with Moscow.
Key Takeaways
- Ukrainian forces captured two Chinese nationals fighting for Russia in the Donetsk region, with President Zelensky claiming there are “much more” Chinese citizens in Russian military units
- Ukraine has summoned China’s charge d’affaires demanding an explanation and tasked Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha with contacting Beijing for an official response
- The incident challenges China’s claimed neutrality and its credibility as a UN Security Council member, according to Ukrainian officials
- China has been a strategic partner to Russia throughout the war, expanding trade and supplying dual-use goods while publicly maintaining a stance of neutrality
- The discovery follows North Korea’s confirmed troop deployment to support Russia, suggesting an expanding international dimension to the conflict
Chinese Fighters Captured on Ukrainian Soil
Ukrainian forces have captured two Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russian troops in the eastern Donetsk region. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the capture during his nightly address, presenting evidence that included documents, bank cards, and personal data recovered from the prisoners. Ukrainian security services are currently investigating the identities and backgrounds of these individuals to determine if they were mercenaries or potentially sent with Beijing’s knowledge or approval.
“We have information that there are much more than two such Chinese citizens in the occupier’s units. We have the documents of these prisoners, bank cards, personal data,” said Zelensky. The capture marks a significant development in the war, potentially expanding its international dimensions beyond Russia’s already confirmed deployment of North Korean troops in the Kursk Oblast, where Ukrainian forces have reported inflicting significant casualties on these foreign fighters.
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
Diplomatic Fallout and Demands for Explanation
Ukraine has taken immediate diplomatic action following the capture, summoning China’s charge d’affaires in Kyiv to demand an explanation. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has been tasked with contacting Beijing directly about the presence of Chinese nationals in Russian military units. The incident threatens to strain Ukraine’s efforts to maintain and potentially deepen diplomatic ties with China, having recently appointed a new ambassador to Beijing despite the ongoing war.
“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 permanent member of the UN Security Council,” said Sybiha.
President Zelensky has called for an international response to what Ukraine sees as evidence of expanding foreign involvement in the conflict. “We definitely need a reaction to this. A reaction from the United States, Europe and everyone in the world who wants peace,” Zelensky emphasized, positioning this development as existential and directly calling on Western allies to respond.
China’s Role in the Conflict
While China has publicly maintained a position of neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, its actions have consistently supported Moscow through expanded trade relationships and the supply of dual-use goods that have bolstered Russia’s military capabilities. Ukraine has previously urged Beijing to use its influence to pressure Moscow to end the invasion, but these efforts have yielded little practical change in China’s approach to the conflict.
Western intelligence sources suggest there may be a few hundred Chinese nationals fighting as mercenaries with Russian forces, though there is currently no evidence of state sponsorship for these individuals. However, the “no limits” partnership declared between Russia and China has resulted in deepened political, military, and economic cooperation since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, providing Moscow with critical support that has helped it weather international sanctions.
Broader Implications for the War
The presence of Chinese nationals in Russian military units comes as Ukrainian forces struggle to hold ground against Russian advances in eastern Ukraine. With operations extending into Russia’s Belgorod region and confirmed North Korean troop deployments supporting Russian forces, the conflict shows worrying signs of internationalization beyond Ukraine’s Western supporters. President Trump has been pushing for a resolution to the war, but no breakthrough has been achieved.
This capture of Chinese fighters represents potentially the most serious escalation in foreign involvement since North Korea’s direct deployment of troops. As Ukraine seeks immediate talks with international partners about this development, the incident threatens to further complicate an already challenging battlefield situation for Ukrainian forces. The question remains whether these Chinese nationals were acting as independent mercenaries or if their presence indicates a more direct Chinese military involvement in support of Russia’s war efforts.
