163 Chinese Nationals, Including Two Captured in Donetsk, Seek Exchange After Being Misled by Russia

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Updated Apr 15, 2025, 11:11 AM

Two Chinese nationals, Zhang Renbo and Wang Guangjun, captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting for Russia, have spoken out about their experiences. They were part of a group of approximately 163 Chinese nationals identified by Ukrainian intelligence as fighting for Moscow. The two men, aged 27 and 34 respectively, were captured in the Donetsk region and have expressed their desire to return to China through a prisoner exchange. The Chinese soldiers claimed they were misled by Russia, with Wang Guangjun stating that he was targeted by Russian 'chemical weapons' immediately after his capture. Both men denied any involvement of the Chinese government in their decision to fight, asserting that they signed contracts with the Russian army of their own volition. They also mentioned that they were recruited through social media platforms like TikTok and Douyin, with Wang losing his job during the COVID-19 pandemic and seeking employment opportunities. Wang had initially planned to work in medical rehabilitation but was sent to the frontlines instead, despite having no combat experience. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that several hundred Chinese nationals are fighting for Russia in Ukraine. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied any official capacity of Chinese citizens fighting in the conflict, calling the claims 'groundless.' Beijing has warned its citizens to avoid conflict zones and stated that it will assess the actions of those captured under Chinese law. The captured soldiers also revealed that Russia withheld their pay and that they were fed lies about the strength of Russian forces.

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#Chinese #Zhang Renbo #Wang Guangjun #Ukrainian #Russia #Moscow #Donetsk #China #Russian #Russian army #TikTok #Douyin #Wang #Volodymyr Zelensky #Ukraine #Beijing

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Sources

newsdig.tbs.co.jp(4)pravda.com.ua(3)europapress.es(3)responsiblestatecraft.org(3)

Protothema.gr

@protothema

War in Ukraine: 'We were trapped to fight for Russia' say Chinese fighters captured of Kiev #protothema https://t.co/vSvASTQYxc https://t.co/OSUOAwTYmU

日テレNEWS NNN

@news24ntv

High reward claims... Recruiting Russian soldiers on TikTok or Chinese soldiers taken prisoner in Ukraine “I want to go back to China” https://t.co/LDjirlzrlI