Zelenskyy: Russia recruits Chinese nationals via social media to fight in Ukraine

This was reported by Suspilne.

During a meeting with journalists, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is aware of Chinese citizens serving in the ranks of the Russian army.

"We are gathering information and believe there are many more. For these 155 individuals, we have passport details, their origin, documents, age, and places of service," he said.

The president also described several schemes used to recruit them. One such method involves Russians placing advertisements on Chinese social media platforms like TikTok and others.

"Official Beijing is aware of this. The Russians distribute recruitment ads via Chinese social media. It is not secret recruitment — that’s important. Although there may also be secret recruitment. These individuals then arrive in the Russian Federation, in Moscow. They undergo medical examinations for 3–4 days, followed by 1–2 months in training centers. They are then sent to fight on the territory of Ukraine," Zelenskyy noted.

According to the documents from intelligence sources, over 150 Chinese citizens have become contract servicemen, mostly in the second half of 2024, and some earlier in 2023. They are assigned to various military units, including the 255th Motorized Rifle Regiment, the 136th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, and the 70th Motorized Rifle Regiment.

In addition, Zelenskyy revealed the identities of two captured Chinese citizens who were fighting in the Russian army: Wang Guangjun, born in 1991, and Zhang Renbo, born in 1998.

The President also said that the SBU had brought them to Kyiv. He said that journalists would be given the chance to talk to the captives.

"I think we will give journalists the opportunity to talk to them. I think it will be appropriate. They are more talkative than the prisoners from North Korea, as far as we can see," Zelenskyy said.

The President noted that Ukraine would convey information to the Chinese side and everyone in the world through diplomatic channels, as Beijing had previously stated that it was impossible to further fuel this war and expand its scale.

"The involvement of Chinese citizens in this war is definitely the incitement of a bigger problem. And we need to respond to this on an absolute basis. Strengthening the occupation contingent and talking about peace are mutually exclusive," Zelenskyy said.

Later, the president posted a video featuring captured Chinese soldiers. 

The Security Service of Ukraine announced that the first interrogations of the prisoners of war had taken place. The soldiers are now revealing how they ended up fighting in Ukraine and detailing the tasks they were assigned by Russia. Interpreters are facilitating the communication.

The Security Service notes that the Chinese nationals have no injuries but are being provided with all necessary medical care, as outlined by the Geneva Convention.

"According to both individuals, they were captured by the Ukrainian military during their very first combat mission," the statement said.

One of the captured was recruited by the Russians in China and signed a contract in February of this year upon arriving in Moscow. The other came to Russia in December 2024, allegedly for tourism, but later applied for a contract. According to the foreigner, he came across an online advertisement recruiting for the army, promising a payment of 2 million rubles (around 23,000 dollars).

The Security Service is currently conducting investigative actions and verifying the testimony. The investigation is being carried out under Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which pertains to war crimes.

• Ukrainian military forces in the Donetsk region captured two Chinese citizens who were fighting in the Russian army. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed the Foreign Minister to contact Beijing regarding the situation.
• China's Foreign Ministry has stated that it is investigating reports regarding two Chinese citizens who were captured while fighting alongside the Russian army against Ukraine.
• One of the Chinese citizens captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donetsk region said he went to war against Ukraine in order to obtain Russian citizenship.