Two Chinese men captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting for Russia have spoken publicly, saying they were misled into joining the war and denied any ties to the Chinese government.
Wang Guangjun and Zhang Renbo, both former civilians, shared their experiences during a press conference in Kyiv on April 14.
Wang, 33, said he was recruited after seeing a job offer on TikTok offering high pay for foreigners willing to join the Russian military. After losing his job in China, he was drawn by promises of 200,000–250,000 rubles per month (about $2,000–$3,000). However, he said those promises were false. Once in Russia, he claimed his bank card and phone were confiscated, cutting him off from the money he was earning.
Zhang, 26, a former firefighter, said he first went to Russia for a construction job but ended up in military service. “I wanted to make money, but I didn’t expect to end up in a war,” he said.
Both said they had no connections to the Chinese government and enlisted voluntarily. Their journey took them through Moscow and Russian-occupied Donetsk before reaching the front lines. They described poor treatment and tight control in Russian military camps, including one in Kazan where they were housed with other foreign nationals from places like Ghana, Iraq, and Central Asia.
Wang recounted being caught in what he believed was a Russian chemical attack just after being captured by Ukrainians. He said a Ukrainian soldier pulled him to safety and helped him recover. “(Ukrainian) soldiers protected us and have been treating us well this whole time,” Wang added.
President Zelensky previously revealed that “several hundred” Chinese nationals are believed to be fighting for Russia. Ukraine’s military has also reported foreign fighters from countries such as India, Nepal, Syria, and even North Korea.
Both Wang and Zhang criticized Russia during the press conference and urged other Chinese citizens not to join the war. However, since they were speaking while in Ukrainian custody, their claims could not be independently verified.
Their appearance marks the first confirmed case of Chinese nationals captured while fighting in Russia’s military during the war in Ukraine.