Two Chinese nationals captured while fighting for Russia in Ukraine warned fellow citizens against joining the war and accused Moscow of misleading them about its military strength. Their statements came during a rare press conference in Kyiv on Monday, just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the Kremlin of deploying hundreds of Chinese fighters on the front line.
The prisoners, 33-year-old Wang Guanjung and 26-year-old Zhang Renbo, were presented in handcuffs and camouflage uniforms, flanked by armed Ukrainian guards. They are the first known Chinese nationals captured fighting alongside Russian forces during the invasion. Both men said they were recruited through online advertisements and denied any affiliation with the Chinese government.
"For those [Chinese] citizens who want to take part in the war, we want to say that they should not do so," Wang and Zhang said. "All Russia fed us are lies. They're fake. Russia isn't as strong as they claim, and Ukraine isn't as backwards as they say."
Zelensky shared footage of the captured soldiers on April 8, stating on X: "We have information suggesting that there are many more Chinese citizens in the occupier's units than just these two. Russia's involvement of China, 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."
Ukrainian officials have cited data suggesting that as many as 155 Chinese nationals may be fighting on Russia's behalf. Investigative outlet Important Stories identified at least 51 Chinese individuals who visited a Moscow military recruitment center between June 2023 and May 2024.
Zhang said he initially traveled to Russia in December for construction work but was later pulled into the military. Wang told reporters he had signed up after seeing a TikTok advertisement offering higher-than-average pay. Both claimed they had not engaged in combat against Ukrainian troops.
During a briefing in Beijing on April 10, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated: "China did not start the Ukraine crisis, nor is China a party to it."
In Washington, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on April 11: "China is a major enabler of Russia in the war in Ukraine. China provides nearly 80 percent of the dual-use items Russia needs to sustain the war. Eighty percent comes from China."
Dutch politician Jan Paternotte posted on X on April 8: "Chinese soldiers captured in Europe. Not as peacekeepers, as Beijing has cynically suggested. But as mercenaries in Putin's invasion force. There's no way the Chinese government didn't know. Europe must make clear: this is unacceptable."
Zhang and Wang both expressed a desire to return to China and said they were willing to face legal consequences at home. "I understand that there may be punishment, and I am ready for it. But I still want to return home and to my family," Zhang said.
"Real war is completely different from what we have seen in movies and on TV," Wang said. "I regret one thing-I want to apologize to my parents. And my only wish is to go back [to China] and follow all the instructions that will help me do that."
