“Important stories” established the names of 51 military from China, which went through the selection point of the RF Armed Forces for the year

At least 51 citizen of China passed through the Moscow selection point for military service under the contract. This follows from the data on the recruitment for a contract in Moscow from June 2023 to May 2024, which at the disposal of “important stories”. 31 Fighter from the PRC turned to this institution in 2023, another 20-in 2024.

Those who wish to conclude a contract from China came to sign up for service regularly every month. Most of the Chinese citizens wanted to conclude a contract in July 2023: then 8 people visited the Moscow selection point at once. Sometimes Chinese volunteers came to conclude a contract with the Russian army in pairs. At least one such pair-38-year-old Minlyan Van and 43-year-old TaoChen Lee-arrived in Russia with the same flight, “important stories” were convinced, having studied the border services. Two days later, they went to the recruiting station together.

Most China citizens flew to Moscow shortly before applying to the selection point for service under the contract, follows from the data of “important stories”. So, the 24-year-old Yuanchun Jiang flew to Russia on August 22, 2023 and on the same day went to conclude a contract. At least seven more came to recruit the day after arriving in Russia from China. At least four Chinese volunteers after a visit to the selection point flew back to China.

What happens to the Chinese at the front

The youngest of Chinese contractors on our list is 20 years old, the oldest is 51 years old. At least one of them has already died in the war in Ukraine. Thus, the 38-year-old Zhao Zhao concluded a contract with the Russian army at the end of September 2023, and already in December 2023, according to the Ukrainian media, he was killed in the Zaporizhzhya region.

It is also known about the wounded military from the PRC. Another Chinese volunteer from our list-38-year-old Lin Pan-hit the video published by the Bolshoal-Caliber Podopolian telegram channel. It states that Lin Pan is a former employee of the Chinese military police, who received the St. George Cross for the evacuation of Russian colleagues attacked by a drone near Bakhmut. He was injured, hit the hospital and returned to the front. The authors of the video call Panya “our Russian guy of Chinese origin” and note that he does not know the word in the language of the country that he is fighting, except “I am Russian” and “brother”.

Another fighter from the list of “important stories” named Way Duan got into the base of patients with medical facilities of the Main Military Medical Department of the Russian Ministry of Defense, told Radio Liberty. Wei, already at that time returning to his homeland, confirmed in correspondence with reporters that he was a China citizen and participated in the war in Ukraine.

A few more Chinese citizens who served under a contract in the Russian army could also return to their homeland ( they conclude a contract with foreigners for a year). The 49-year-old Hunshao Liu came to the qualifying point in Moscow in July 2023, and already in November 2024 he posted on social networks a photograph with Geote Magnan-this is a city district in China. In the photo, the child goes to a school with a camouflage backpack, on which a strip with a Russian tricolor is attached. Under the photograph in Russian it says: "On the way to school."

The fate of most citizens of the PRC who entered into a contract with the army of the Russian Federation is unknown to us.

What volunteers from China say about service in the Russian army

The 41-year-old Jianvei Lee, who flew to Russia and turned to the selection point on a contract in December 2023, spoke in detail in his social networks about the service in the Russian army. According to him, from the moment the contractor appeared on the battlefield to his death, on average 8-10 hours can take place. He complained of “weak” military equipment and weapons, as well as about the language barrier, which prevents him from communicating with Russian colleagues and talking to a walkie -talkie with the command. “In two weeks that I am here, we have advanced only 100 meters. We lost dozens of people and did not take them [did not evacuate the bodies], ”he says.

According to Jianvei Lee, during one of the battles one foreign mercenary and two Russian military fled from fear, and the Cuban simulated the disease so as not to participate in battles. “That's why you can’t trust anyone on the battlefield, including colleagues. In China, we have no such problems. Our Chinese military as brothers - they can even sacrifice their lives to save you. But outside of China, you can only rely on yourself, ”he says.

Another military man from our list, 38-year-old Zhuiki Sun, also complained on social networks about the terms in the Russian army. He flew to Russia in September 2023 and the next day went to conclude a contract. “There is no medical care here. Everyone does not give a damn. The pain kills me, ”he said in a video published in January 2024. According to him, the doctor did not provide proper treatment after the examination. “I turned to the Chinese embassy in Russia. They said that this is my personal problem, ”says Zhuiki Sun.

Judging by the publications in the Chinese Internet, he commanded a group of soldiers from Nepal numbers to the platoon. One of the Nepalic mercenaries published in his Tiktok account a joint photo with Zhuiki Sun and the corresponding signatures: “Nepali The Soldier” and “Chains Commander” (approx.-Spelling was preserved). From the video discovered by “important stories”, it follows that in March 2024, Zhuiki Sun returned to China.

What the authorities say

On April 9, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that at least 155 citizens of China are fighting in the Russian army. According to Ukraine, they concluded contracts in the second half of 2024, as well as in 2023. “We believe that there are much more of them,” he added.

China authorities reacted to Zelensky’s statement and stated that the country did not send its military to Russia. “The Chinese government always demanded that their citizens stay away from the zone of armed conflict [in Ukraine], to avoid involvement in any form, in particular to refrain from participating in military operations of any of the parties,” said the Representative of the PRC Lin Jiang.

The fact of the participation of China citizens in the war on the side of Russia does not necessarily say that the official Beijing supports Moscow with military methods, says Temur Umarov, expert of the Carnegie Berlin Center for Russia and Eurasia, who also specializes in China’s relations with Russia:

“Given the small number of Chinese citizens who were among the volunteers from the Russian side in the war in Ukraine, it does not seem to me that the Communist Party and the leadership of the PRC were aware of their arrival and participation in the war,” says Umarov. -These citizens could well leave and sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense in order to earn money or somehow solve their issues with the law. There is no ban on leaving in China. Any citizen of the PRC who has funds and there are no debts can travel outside his country, and there is no complexity to Russia. It seems to me that this is really a voluntary decision of those citizens. ”

Does China forbid its citizens serve in the army of another country?

Although the PRC Criminal Code does not have a separate article entitled “Mercenary”, a set of articles regarding state security, conspiracy with foreign forces, rebellion, terrorism and desertion, in fact prohibits China to participate in foreign armed groups or conflicts and provides for punishment up to life imprisonment.

On April 8, in the Donetsk region, the Armed Forces of Ukraine were captured by two citizens of China, who fought as part of the Russian army. Zelensky called them names - Van Guangjun and Chan Jenbo. On April 9, the SBU interrogated them. According to both foreigners, they were captured during their first combat mission. One of them was recruited by the representative of Russia in China, and in February 2025 he arrived in Moscow and signed a contract, says the SBU. The second arrived in Russia in December 2024 “for tourism purposes”, and already in the country, he responded to an announcement on the Internet about a recruitment for a contract with a payment of 2 million rubles.