Key Points: Two Chinese soldiers, captured fighting for Russia in Ukraine, stated at a Kyiv press conference on April 14 that Russia’s military isn’t as strong as Moscow claims.
-Wang Guanjung and Zhang Renbo, recruited through channels like TikTok ads, warned fellow Chinese citizens against joining the war, citing Russian deception.
Capt. Michael Terry, 36th Fighter Squadron F-16 pilot, prepares to launch at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, July 9, 2020. The 36th Aircraft Maintenance Unit and the flight line operators wokred to make this aircraft mission-capable after being grounded for 186 days. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Noah Sudolcan)
-Their capture, highlighted by Ukrainian President Zelensky who claims over 150 Chinese are fighting for Russia, challenges Beijing’s official neutrality despite its “no-limits partnership” and material support for Moscow’s war effort.
-The soldiers expressed a desire to return to China, not Russia, if exchanged.
‘Russia Fed Us Lies’: Chinese Fighters Caught in Ukraine Tell Their Story
Two Chinese soldiers were captured earlier this month. They were reportedly fighting for Moscow in the war that started in February 2022 with Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s order to invade Ukraine. The two stated from Ukraine that Russia’s military is not as strong as the Kremlin claims.
The two Chinese soldiers, Wang Guanjung and Zhang Renbo, made their remarks during a press conference in Kyiv on April 14. The press appearance took place just after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released footage purportedly showing Chinese troops fighting on the side of Moscow.
The Ukrainian president claimed the two Chinese nationals were captured in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region. He wrote on X that:
“Our military has captured two Chinese citizens who were fighting as part of 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 there are many more Chinese citizens in the occupier’s units than just these two. 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.
“I have instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to immediately contact Beijing and clarify how China intends to respond to this.”
Beijing’s “Neutral” Status
Despite close military and trade ties between the two countries, and a series of statements and interactions by Beijing that appear to endorse Putin’s attempt to invade Ukraine and subjugate the nation, China continues to claim it is a neutral party in this conflict. However, Beijing and Moscow reaffirmed their “no-limits partnership” and its direct connection to the Ukraine war when Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone on the third anniversary of the invasion.
“China-Russia relations have strong internal driving force and unique strategic value, and are not aimed at, nor are they influenced by, any third party,” said Xi, according to the official readout of the call published by Chinese state media. The phrase “third party” was invoked in reference to efforts by the U.S. and the European Union to dissuade Beijing from further material support to Moscow by threatening secondary sanctions.
In the recent past, Xi has told Putin that their two nations have the opportunity to make “changes the world has not seen in a century.” Taken in combination with many other statements by Xi, the consensus among most China analysts is that Xi is pushing forward with his campaign to upend the rules-based world order that is the centerpiece of U.S. and Western foreign policy.
In the meantime, Beijing has not stopped at providing diplomatic support to Russia by hindering international economic sanctions. Beijing has also supplied Russia with materials that aid weapons production. What the PRC has not been able to supply directly, it has funneled through third nations such as Belarus.
Message to Chinese Military-Age Men: Uncle Vlad Wants You
Reports of the capture of Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russian forces would seem to confirm Beijing is now a direct participant in the Ukraine War—it is acting directly to help Moscow destroy its neighbor.
Wang and Zhang, born in 1991 and 1998, respectively, are the first known Chinese citizens captured while fighting alongside Russian forces. Both claimed they joined the war voluntarily and denied their recruitment involved the Chinese government.
Ukrainian authorities say they have evidence that these two Chinese nationals are merely the “tip of the iceberg.” Zelensky recently said at least 155 Chinese nationals were currently fighting on the side of the Russian military.
The Russian-language investigative outlet Important Stories has published the names of at least 51 Chinese active-duty service personnel who reportedly visited a recruitment center in Moscow between June 2023 and May 2024.
Wang said he enlisted after seeing a TikTok advertisement with offers for work in Russia that offered a salary well above Chinese pay scales. Zhang initially traveled to Russia in December 2024 to take a job as a construction worker, and stated he was recruited into the military after arriving in the country.
“For those [Chinese] citizens who want to take part in the war, we want to say that they should not do so,” said both captured combatants. “All Russia fed us are lies. They’re fake. Russia isn’t as strong as they claim, and Ukraine isn’t as backward as they say.”
Revealingly, the captured Chinese nationals said that in the event of a future prisoner swap, they would want to be returned to China—not Russia.
About the Author:
Reuben F. Johnson is a survivor of the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and is an Expert on Foreign Military Affairs with the Fundacja im. Kazimierza Pułaskiego in Warsaw. He has been a consultant to the Pentagon, several NATO governments and the Australian government in the fields of defense technology and weapon systems design. Over the past 30 years he has resided in and reported from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Brazil, the People’s Republic of China and Australia.
Swamplaw Yankee
April 25, 2025 at 2:46 pm
The Balkanization process was well reviewed back in the 1990-2000 period. It was well understood by authors, many of who projected a major European war in the very near future based on the WEST allowing orc muscovite aggression.
It seems it was not understood by the Yankee structure, MSM and Doodle Dandies.
Now, the Yankee has to understand that billions of semi-educated Han ethnic are ready to overtake anything near the China Sea and the Orc muscovite empire.
So, the Ukrainians have been showing documentary video for a long period of Han CPP emissaries fighting on ancient Ukrainian Lands. The Yankee structure refuses to accept this evidence. The 1945 crowd tries to behave as if they were locomotive watching. They know all about the statistics of some long sunk warship, but zero about Tibet or any other ethnic slave nation.
Balkanization seems successful for the fascist orc muscovite elite. Agit prop is emitted by the orc and the Whackooff shill parrot stooges fly to the bosum of Putin to receive some close rubbing from their leader. Perhaps they can receive some russian language lessons on now, not dusty, table tops.
Oh forgot, pre-payment of $10,000,000 in gold bullion by Putin for each kidnapped Ukrainian child is guaranteed by his bosum buddy, the leader of the HAN CCP, Comrade Zi. There is now, God Bless Trump, no collective guilt in Russian orc peasant families for centuries of human trafficking in minors. Whackooff shill parrot stooges tell us that Trump if gifting all russian orcs ten free years of table top dancing as his “American Culture style” Lolita gift! Wow. Oh, Nabokov, did you ever hit the cognitive bullseye with the Epstein Cabal! -30-