China is said to have trained around 200 Russian troops, some of whom were deployed to Ukraine upon their return.
Reuters said the training centered on drone usage and was part of a “dual language” military agreement seen by the publication, which was signed by Russian and Chinese military officials on July 2, 2025.
The outlet said the subsequent training took place at military facilities in Beijing and other Chinese regions, including the eastern city of Nanjing, citing unnamed European intelligence officials.
The Tuesday report coincides with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China, during which Beijing and Moscow were set to address bilateral cooperation and energy issues after a recent visit to China by US President Donald Trump.
Reuters cited confirmation from three European intelligence agencies but did not name their nationalities.
One intelligence official said the agreement shows that Beijing is more involved in the Ukraine war than it admits.
China has been a major supplier of drone parts to Russia – admitted by Russian officials in a leaked call – but the latest revelation, if confirmed, would suggest Beijing is actively supporting Moscow despite its official stance.
Beijing has officially portrayed itself as a neutral party in the war in Ukraine, a stance reinforced by its comments to Reuters.
“On the Ukraine crisis, China has consistently maintained an objective and impartial stance and worked to promote peace talks, this is consistent and clear and is witnessed by the international community,” China’s foreign ministry said in a statement to Reuters. “Relevant parties should not deliberately stoke confrontation or shift blame.”
The statement is similar to the ministry’s response to a Ukrainian state media when questioned recently about the fate of the Chinese fighters captured in 2025.
“China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is very clear. We support all efforts for peace, and hope relevant parties will continue to resolve the crisis through dialogue and negotiations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at the time.
Despite the publicly neutral stance, some have accused Beijing of backing Moscow in its war in Ukraine.
In April 2025, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine has information that China has been “engaged in the production of some weapons on the territory of Russia” without further elaboration.
In July the same year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly told his EU counterpart behind closed doors that Beijing cannot abide a Russian defeat in Ukraine.
Later, in September, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Chinese firms have continued to contribute to Russia’s production of long-range drones, findings echoed in a Bloomberg report from April 2026.