The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) published video of its interrogation of Chinese soldiers captured in Ukraine which President Volodymyr Zelensky shared on his Telegram channel on Wednesday, April 9.
Commenting on the video he said, “We all need – all partners, all conscientious participants in international relations – to ensure that Russia loses the ability to wage war, particularly by using people like this.”
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According to Zelensky, Russia does not care who dies in its “crazy war” – it only wants the war to continue.
Both of the Chinese prisoners said they were captured by Ukrainian forces during their very first combat mission.
In the video, one was asked whether he directly participated in combat operations in Ukraine. He replies that he was captured during his first mission and had not taken part in any battles before that.
He also claims he had never held a weapon before joining the Russian army and being issued an AK-47 assault rifle.
The second prisoner - previously seen in a video released by Zelensky on Tuesday – said he is 34 years old and comes from China’s Henan province. According to him, three soldiers surrendered together: two Chinese nationals and one Russian.
He added that had become separated from two other Chinese soldiers from their group on the battlefield.
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He also said the Ukrainian military rescued him. After they surrendered, Russian forces reportedly attacked their shelter with explosive and gas weapons. At that moment, a Ukrainian soldier ran up and pulled him to safety.
The SBU gave details of the captures; one was captured near the village of Tarasivka by soldiers of Ukraine’s 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade, while the other was captured near Bilohorivka by the 81st Separate Airmobile Brigade - both locations are in the Donetsk region.
According to the report, neither of the Chinese prisoners had received combat injuries, but both are receiving necessary medical care in accordance with the Geneva Convention.
The prisoners of war (POWs) were taken to Kyiv for initial investigation where they are being held in conditions in line with international law, with interrogations conducted through interpreters.
One of the prisoners, an unemployed 34-year-old man, said he was recruited directly in China by a Russian representative before arriving in Moscow in February where he signed a contract to serve in Russia’s armed forces.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, citing Ukraine’s “Luhansk” operational-tactical group, the POW said he paid a recruiter in China 300,000 rubles ($3,500) to enlist in the Russian army.
He said he was trained in occupied Luhansk as part of a unit made up of Chinese citizens, learning basic military skills without the support of an interpreter – relying on gestures and a phone translator.
He claimed he wanted to become a professional soldier and obtain Russian citizenship noting that some members of his group had criminal records in China.
The man said he left China as a tourist, his family knew of his plans, and he surrendered after his unit suffered losses in battle.
The other POW, born in 1998, arrived in Russia in December 2024 also allegedly as a tourist. He claimed that, while in Russia, he applied to join the military after seeing an online advertisement offering recruitment and a payment of 2 million rubles ($23,400).
The SBU is currently verifying the prisoners’ statements and conducting further investigations into all the circumstances that led to the participation of Chinese citizens in Russia’s so-called “special military operation.”
Zelensky stressed that Ukraine has confirmed information that more than 150 Chinese citizens have been serving in Moscow’s war against Ukraine – but in all likelihood, he said, the number is even higher.
“Ukraine believes that Russia’s open involvement of Chinese citizens in hostilities on Ukrainian territory is a deliberate step to escalate the war,” Zelensky said.
“This is further evidence that Moscow is simply trying to prolong the fighting,” he added.
During a meeting with journalists on Wednesday evening, Zelensky said that China was aware of its citizens’ participation on the side of the Kremlin in the war against Ukraine.
He was asked whether Ukraine knew what motivated the Chinese citizens to fight – whether they were mercenaries or if their actions reflected Beijing’s policy.
“I don’t have an answer to that question yet. The Security Service of Ukraine will investigate. What we are recording, based on the data and details we have, is that China, at the level of official representation, knew about their deployment,” Zelensky replied.
He said at this stage, Ukraine cannot say whether anyone officially gave the order.
“We are documenting that these are Chinese citizens, fighting against us, using weapons against Ukrainians on Ukrainian territory. Whether their motivation was money, politics, or something else – I don’t know yet. But we will find out,” Zelensky added.
China has urged its citizens to avoid conflict zones after Ukraine capture of the two Chinese nationals.
Zelensky called for international talks and demanded that Beijing explain its citizens’ presence on the battlefield on Tuesday, comparing Chinese involvement that of Iranian and North Korean support for Russia.
China’s foreign ministry said it was verifying the information but reiterated its warning for citizens to avoid war zones.
“The Chinese side’s position on the issue of the Ukraine crisis is clear and unequivocal, and has won widespread approval from the international community,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.
The Kremlin declined to comment.
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