The Ukrainian military has captured two Chinese citizens who were fighting for the Russian army, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who made the claim on Tuesday, April 8th, on his X account.
The president said the men were caught in the eastern Donetsk region, where war is raging between Ukraine and the invading Russian troops. Identification documents, bank cards, and personal data were found in their possession.
“We have information suggesting that there are many more Chinese citizens in the occupier’s units than just these two. We are currently verifying all the facts,” Zelensky added.
He said the ministry of foreign affairs will contact Beijing immediately to clarify how China intends to respond to this.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Ukraine had summoned China’s charge d’affaires to demand an explanation. “Chinese citizens fighting as part of Russia’s invasion army in Ukraine puts into question China’s declared stance for peace and undermines Beijing’s credibility as a responsible permanent member of the UN Security Council,” he added.
The revelations, if true, would mean a clear escalation of the war.Last year, North Korea sent around 11,000 of its troops to Russia and 3,000 more earlier this year. According to South Korea, about 4,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or injured in combat.
