Beijing Denies Ukraine’s Claim of Chinese Troops Fighting With Russia

A Chinese official has denied that Ukraine’s claim of a large number of Chinese soldiers fighting with Russia’s invasion army is “totally false”.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Tuesday that Ukrainian forces had captured two Chinese soldiers fighting alongside Russian troops in eastern Donetsk and that they had information about “significantly” more.

This was the first claim that Ukraine made about Chinese fighters in its territory during Russia’s nearly three-year-long invasion.

Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing, said that China had played a constructive role in resolving politically the Ukraine crisis.

Lin said at a daily briefing on Wednesday, “The Chinese government always asks Chinese nationals to stay away conflict zones, avoid becoming involved in any type of armed conflict and refrain from participating in military operations by any party.”

It was clear from his comments that the Chinese captured by Russia had joined their ranks of their own accord.

Since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, China has offered strong diplomatic support to Russia. Beijing has offered Russia an economic lifeline by trading in energy and consumer products, but it has not provided Russia with troops or weapons.

Most observers dismissed its vague peace plan.

Ukraine and the United States had previously claimed that thousands of North Korean soldiers were helping Russia as part of an agreement between the Kremlin government and Pyongyang.

Both Russia and Ukraine permit foreign soldiers to enlist.

At a press briefing held in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated that the U.S. “was aware” of reports that Chinese citizens fighting for Russia were captured in Ukraine. She called the reports “disturbing.”

Bruce stated that “China is an important enabler for Russia in the Ukraine war.” She claimed that China supplies nearly 80% of the dual-use products Russia needs to maintain the war.

In recent years, tensions between Washington, DC, and Beijing have escalated amid disputes about trade, technology, and geopolitical rivalry.

The Kremlin effectively rejected the U.S. proposal to stop fighting in Ukraine immediately and completely for 30 days. Kyiv has agreed to the proposal. Both sides are preparing spring and summer military campaigns.

Both countries continued to fight a war of attrition along a front line of about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and have targeted each other using long-range attacks.

Vadym Fillashkin, the regional head of Donetsk, Ukraine, said that Kramatorsk, a city in eastern Ukraine, was subjected to a “massive” drone attack overnight. A girl aged 11, her mother, and her grandmother were injured.

Ukraine’s Air Force said that Russia launched 55 Shahed drones and decoys against the country overnight.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that overnight, air defenses had downed 158 Ukrainian UAVs in 11 Russian regions. However, there were no reports of casualties or damage.

The Defense Ministry reported that several Russian regions temporarily halted flights at their airports due to the attack. However, some Ukrainian drones were able to reach the Orenburg region of Russia in the southern Urals, located approximately 1,200 kilometers (745 mi) east of Ukraine’s border.