Chinese citizens fighting for Russia in Ukraine are mercenaries-US officials
Ukraine's
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian intelligence had identified 155 Chinese citizens fighting alongside Russian forces, a day after Ukraine said two Chinese nationals were captured in the country.
By
Erin Banco
,
Jonathan Landay
and
Michael Martina
WASHINGTON – More than one hundred Chinese citizens fighting for the Russian military against Ukraine are mercenaries who do not appear to have a direct link to China's government, two U.S. officials familiar with American intelligence and a former Western intelligence official claimed.
Chinese military officers have, however, been in the theater behind Russia's lines with Beijing's approval to draw tactical lessons from the war, the former official told Reuters.
The head of U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific, Admiral Samuel Paparo, confirmed on Wednesday that Ukrainian forces had captured two men of Chinese origin in eastern Ukraine after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his country had information about
155 Chinese citizens
fighting there on Russia's behalf.
China, which has declared a 'no-limits' partnership with Russia and has refrained from criticizing Moscow's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, had called Zelenskiy's remarks
'irresponsible'
and claimed that China was not a party to the war.
The U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Chinese fighters appear to have minimal training and are not having any discernable impact on Russia's military operations.
The CIA, the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the National Security Council, as well as China's embassy in Washington, did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
The former Western intelligence official with knowledge of the issue told Reuters there were about 200 Chinese mercenaries fighting for Russia with whom the Chinese government has no link.
But Chinese military officers have, with Beijing's approval, been touring close to Russia's frontlines to draw lessons and tactics from the war. The officers 'are absolutely there under approval,' the former official said.
China has for years provided Moscow with material support to help aid its war against Ukraine, primarily in the shipment of dual-use products – components needed to maintain weapons such as drones and tanks.
Beijing has also supplied Russia with lethal drones to use on the battlefield. In October, the Biden administration sanctioned for the first time two Chinese companies for
providing weapons systems
to Moscow.
Volunteers from Western countries, including the U.S., have been fighting for Ukraine since the early days of the war, and North Korea has deployed more than 12,000 troops to support Russian forces, thousands of whom have been
killed or injured in combat
.
(Reuters)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cedar News
5 hours ago
- Cedar News
Pakistan Shoots Down Indian Rafale with Chinese PL-15 Missile in Intelligence Blunder
Pakistan Shoots Down Indian Rafale with Chinese PL-15 Missile in Intelligence Blunder In a stunning development on May 7, Pakistan shot down an Indian Rafale fighter jet using a Chinese-made PL-15 long-range missile, according to intelligence sources cited by Reuters. The incident is being described as a significant intelligence lapse by the Indian Air Force (IAF), which reportedly underestimated the actual range of the PL-15 missile system. Intelligence Failure Leads to Loss of Rafale Jet Sources within the defense community confirmed that the IAF did not expect the PL-15 — a long-range air-to-air missile developed by China — to reach and engage targets at such a distance. This critical miscalculation allowed Pakistan's Air Force to successfully engage and shoot down the Indian Rafale during an aerial encounter over contested airspace. The PL-15 missile, equipped with an active radar seeker and advanced guidance systems, has a reported range exceeding 200 kilometers, giving Pakistan a considerable edge in beyond-visual-range (BVR) combat scenarios. Rising Tensions Between Nuclear Rivals The shooting down of the Rafale comes amid heightened military tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. India's acquisition of the French-built Rafale jets in recent years was seen as a strategic move to gain superiority in the air, especially along the western border. However, this latest loss has sparked questions over the Indian defense establishment's intelligence capabilities and its ability to anticipate the evolving nature of regional threats. Implications for Indian Defense Strategy This incident marks a severe blow to the Indian military's modernization narrative. The downing of a Rafale by a PL-15 missile not only undermines India's aerial dominance but also signals the increasing effectiveness of Pakistan-China military cooperation. Indian officials have not issued an official statement yet, but defense analysts expect a reevaluation of operational tactics, missile countermeasures, and electronic warfare capabilities in response to this unexpected escalation.
LBCI
5 hours ago
- LBCI
Ukraine's military says it struck Russia's Ryazan oil refinery
Ukraine's military said on Saturday that it had struck Russia's Ryazan oil refinery, causing a fire on its territory. In a statement on Telegram, the Unmanned Systems Forces also said they had hit the Annanefteprodukt oil storage facility in Voronezh region. Reuters
L'Orient-Le Jour
6 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
'Hezbollah committed all major crimes in Lebanon in past 25 years': Abu Assi
Lebanese Forces (LF) MP Pierre Abu Assi described the Aug. 4, 2020, Beirut port explosion, which killed 235 people and injured more than 7,000, as the "crime of the century," pointing to "Hezbollah as the primary accused." In an interview with the Al Jadeed podcast, reported by the National News Agency (NNA), he specified that this tragedy is made up of three consecutive crimes: the storage of dangerous materials in the heart of the capital for years up to Aug. 3, the catastrophic explosion on the evening of Aug. 4 and impunity, the most serious crime, which began on Aug. 5. "Five years have already passed, but the investigation has not led to any results," lamented Abu Assi. "All the major crimes committed in Lebanon over the past 25 years, whose perpetrators have not been identified, were committed by Hezbollah, from the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to the Aug. 4 explosion, as well as the assassination of Elias Hasrouni [LF official] in Ain Ibl." "The attacks against the judge and the intrusion into the Justice Palace are further evidence of the party's involvement. There is, in fact, a clear decision not to let the investigation advance," he continued, alluding to pressure put on investigating judge Tarek Bitar, and to the demonstration against this magistrate on Oct. 14, 2021, outside the Beirut Justice Palace, led by Hezbollah and the Amal movement, which escalated into bloody clashes. After two years of political and judicial obstacles, the investigation into the double explosion at Beirut's port, led by Judge Bitar, was relaunched last January. The indictment is still pending. "Lebanon is no longer among the priorities of the international community," added Abu Assi, recalling recent statements by American envoy Tom Barrack, who called on Beirut to disarm Hezbollah and asserted that "the United States would not wait for Lebanon, nor would Saudi Arabia or any other friendly country." In this context, the MP accused the party of refusing to surrender its weapons and of threatening the social contract. "The truth is, Hezbollah is Iran's political and security arm in Lebanon and refuses to surrender its weapons, which threatens the social contract based on equality among Lebanese. What is happening today undermines this contract, and if we cross the point of no return, only God knows how things will end," he insisted, also stating that "civil peace can only be achieved if the state fully plays its role, not by abandoning it."
