Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy revealed on Tuesday that two Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russian forces were captured in eastern Ukraine — a development that could strain fragile peace efforts in the ongoing war.
In a social media post, Zelenskiy shared video footage of one of the captured men and claimed Ukraine has intelligence suggesting “many more” Chinese citizens may be involved. He stopped short of accusing the Chinese government directly, leaving open whether these individuals were acting under Beijing’s orders.
“Russia’s involvement of China, directly or indirectly, shows Putin is not interested in ending this war,” Zelenskiy wrote.
China, a strategic ally of Russia, has not publicly supported Moscow’s military invasion. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has yet to respond to Ukraine’s claim — the first public report of Chinese nationals being caught on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Ukrainian national security official Andriy Kovalenko labeled the men “mercenaries” but provided no further information.
Zelenskiy noted a critical difference in foreign involvement: “The North Koreans were fighting in Russia’s Kursk region, but the Chinese were captured on Ukrainian soil.”
This comes amid reports that North Korean weaponry and even troops have been used by Russia during the war. Russia has not commented on either the Chinese involvement or the alleged deployment of North Korean troops.
Zelenskiy urged the United States to reconsider its current approach to the peace talks, especially as Washington has recently engaged in direct discussions with Moscow — a move Ukraine views with skepticism.
“We hope this development prompts deeper U.S. engagement with Ukraine before talking to Russia,” he said, noting that Ukrainian forces had encountered six Chinese fighters in total.
Kyiv has summoned China’s top envoy in Ukraine to formally condemn the incident and seek answers. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the situation deeply concerning.
China, which pledged a “no limits” partnership with Russia just before the 2022 invasion, has stated its intent to mediate peace — a stance now under increased scrutiny.