China trained group of Russian soldiers in 2025 who later went to fight against Ukraine – Reuters

Oleksandr Shumilin - 19 May, 16:09

Chinese flag. Photo: Getty Images

At the end of 2025, 200 Russian servicemembers underwent training in China, some of whom later returned to fight against Ukraine.

Source: Reuters, citing data from three European intelligence services and obtained documents

Quote: "The covert training sessions, which predominantly focused on the use of drones, were outlined in a dual-language Russian-Chinese agreement signed by senior Russian and Chinese officers in Beijing on 2 July 2025.

The agreement, ‌reviewed by Reuters, said about 200 Russian troops would be trained at military facilities in locations including Beijing and the eastern city of Nanjing. The sources said around this number subsequently trained in China.

The agreement also said hundreds of Chinese troops would undergo training at military facilities in Russia."

Details: The defence ministries of Russia and China did not respond to requests for comment on this information.

China's foreign ministry said that in regards to "the Ukraine crisis, China has consistently maintained an objective and impartial stance and worked to promote peace talks."

Background:

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to host Russian leader Vladimir Putin on 19-20 May, less than a week after the high-profile visit of US President Donald Trump.
The Kremlin said Putin and Xi are expected to hold talks on 20 May and will also have tea together in the evening to continue discussions.
The Russian delegation includes five deputy prime ministers, eight ministers, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, as well as heads of state corporations and leading companies.
The meeting will take place following Xi's summit with Trump.
Bloomberg notes that this is already the second time this year that the Chinese leader has held diplomatic talks with Trump and Putin back-to-back. In early February, Xi held separate phone calls with the US president and the Kremlin leader within a few hours of each other.

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