Ukraine captures Chinese soldiers fighting for Russia

BarcelonaUkraine has captured two Chinese soldiers fighting on the front lines with Russian troops. President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video on social media on Tuesday showing a handcuffed Chinese soldier in military uniform, allegedly detained on Ukrainian territory in the Donetsk region. "We have information suggesting that there are many more Chinese citizens among the occupying units," the Ukrainian leader warned in the post, adding that the country's intelligence and security authorities were verifying all the information. According to the president, the soldiers—who are now in the custody of Ukrainian security services—were carrying identity documents indicating Chinese nationality.

Zelensky has stated that he will demand an explanation from China, and it has been made public that Kiev authorities had already summoned the Chinese ambassador to the country to hold him accountable.

It is not clear, however, whether Xi Jinping's government is behind the presence of these soldiers among Moscow's troops. The Chinese soldiers could simply be volunteers or mercenaries acting individually. In any case, if the link with the Chinese government is confirmed, the news would overturn China's policy of neutrality regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Although the ties of friendship between Beijing and Moscow are well known, until now the Chinese authorities have been careful—at least publicly—to avoid commenting on or directly helping Russia in the midst of the war.

Kiev has interpreted the presence of Chinese citizens on the front lines as a lack of Beijing's commitment to peace: "Chinese citizens fighting with Russia's invasion army in Ukraine question China's declared position in favor of peace and undermine the credibility of Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sibiha, via X. And Zelensky has read the news as a maneuver by Putin: "China's participation, along with other countries, whether directly or indirectly, in this war in Europe is a clear signal that Putin intends to do anything but end the war."

North Korea, the precedent

So far, the only country that has officially sent troops to the front to deal with the Russian side has been North Korea. In November, some 11,000 North Korean soldiers arrived in Russia to fight against Ukraine.But official Ukrainian and American sources assured in February that they had been working for weeks Pyongyang had withdrawn at least half of its men, who had initially been assigned to the Kursk front.

It was North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, who offered to send his troops to Kursk to help Moscow, according to US intelligence agencies, an idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin would have quickly applauded. Some of the soldiers were among North Korea's best-trained special operations troops, but the Russians used them as infantry, sending them to fight in fields riddled with landmines to be mowed down by Ukrainian fire.