Ukrainian forces have captured two Chinese citizens serving in the Russian military in the eastern Donetsk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday.
“Our soldiers captured two Chinese citizens who were fighting as part of the Russian army,” Zelenskyy said in a statement shared by the Office of the President. “This happened on Ukrainian territory — in Donetsk region. We have their documents, bank cards, and personal information.”
Zelenskyy said intelligence services are now working to determine how many other Chinese nationals may be operating within Russian military units.
“We believe there are more,” he said. “Our intelligence, the Security Service of Ukraine, and relevant Armed Forces units are verifying all the facts.”
Our military has captured two Chinese citizens who were fighting as part of the 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… pic.twitter.com/ekBr6hCkQL
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 8, 2025
The two Chinese fighters were reportedly captured by Ukraine’s elite 81st Airmobile Brigade during a clash near the villages of Tarasivka and Bilohorivka. According to a post by the brigade on Facebook, a total of six Chinese nationals took part in the firefight. The remaining four have not been publicly accounted for.
The Office of the President noted that the captured individuals were found with weapons in hand, actively participating in combat operations as part of a Russian military formation. President Zelenskyy said he had instructed Ukraine’s foreign minister to urgently contact Beijing for an official explanation.
“This is another country militarily supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “We’ve already seen this with Iran and North Korea. But there’s a key difference — the Chinese were captured fighting on Ukrainian soil.”
Zelenskyy added that the development demands an international response. “This is a clear signal that [Vladimir] Putin intends to prolong this war at any cost. It requires a reaction — from the United States, from Europe, and from everyone in the world who wants peace.”
The Chinese government has not yet responded publicly to Ukraine’s statements.