Captured Chinese fighter explains why he joined Russia’s war against Ukraine

The communications department of the Luhansk Operational-Tactical Group said this in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda.

During fighting near Bilohorivka, Ukrainian soldiers from the 81st Brigade captured three Russian servicemen, one of whom was a Chinese citizen.

He had joined the Russian army through an intermediary, paying 300,000 rubles for it, hoping to receive Russian citizenship. The Chinese man also noted that some members of his group had legal issues in China.

His training took place on the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk region among other Chinese nationals, and there was no interpreter present.

Due to the language barrier, he struggled to navigate during combat. His group suffered losses and eventually surrendered.

The collaborator is currently cooperating with the investigation, and his identity has been confirmed. He stated that his family knew about his intention to travel to Russia, though he officially left the country as a tourist.

• Ukrainian forces captured two Chinese citizens fighting for Russia in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed the Foreign Minister to contact Beijing regarding the matter.