Chinese captured by Ukrainian Armed Forces tell how they got into war against Ukraine
Two Chinese citizens, Zhang Renbo and Wang Guangjun, who fought on the side of the Russian army and were captured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, spoke about how Russia recruits foreigners and how they ended up at the front in Ukraine.
They spoke about this at a press conference held by the Security Service of Ukraine, Censor.NET reports citing Suspilne and UP.
About recruitment to the Russian army
Chinese prisoners of war said that Russia recruits foreigners into the army through intermediaries. They are offered jobs that are not related to service. For example, one of the prisoners of war wanted to get a job related to rehabilitation, but ended up becoming a military officer.
Wang says he had a job in China, but "lost it during the coronavirus pandemic and was looking for a new option."
At first, he negotiated with a Russian recruiter for a job as a rehabilitator for wounded soldiers, and then, as he says, "he got into the army and had no choice."
"At first, I refused to take part in hostilities, but I was later sent to the front," Zhang Renbo said.
At the same time, Wang Guangjun says that information about his contract with the Russian armed forces was concealed from him, and he was not provided with details about his contractual duties and remuneration. He was also initially offered another job as a construction worker.
"All the documents were in Russian, the communication was through gestures, they showed us what we had to do with signs. The situation was as follows: I received a card with 200 thousand rubles on it, but I could not use it. From time to time, the Russians would take the card to spend money on fuel, on power banks," Zhang Renbo said.
According to the prisoners, China is promoting a "friendly attitude toward Russia." In turn, Russia is actively spreading propaganda in Chinese media and social networks.
"Any information is about Russia's victories. In Chinese social media, you can see people in uniform and advertisements. In China, it is prestigious to be in the army, so someone may want to join the army in another country," said one of the prisoners of war.
How they got to the front in Ukraine
Wang Guangjun said that he arrived in Russia, in Moscow, on February 5. On February 25, he was already a contractor in the Russian army. After that, he was transferred to Rostov, and on April 1, he was sent to the front line in the Donetsk region.
Zhang Renbo arrived in Russia on December 24, 2024, and on December 28, he arrived in Rostov as a contractor of the Russian Armed Forces. In early February, he was already in the temporarily occupied Donetsk. He was on different front lines, and on April 5, he was captured in the Donetsk sector.
Both prisoners stated that they allegedly "did not kill" Ukrainian soldiers during the fighting because they "had not been on the front line for a long time."
On the exchange and return to China
Both prisoners expressed a desire to return to China as part of the exchange. Wang Guangjun said that his family did not know about his capture. He also said that Russian instructors and commanders did not prepare them for surrender.
Zhang Renbo added that in China, they are "waiting to be punished" for participating in hostilities in another country, but they still want to return home.
