Zelenskyy Claims Capture of Chinese Fighters in Ukraine

Iruni Kalupahana, JadeTimes Staff

I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Russia-Ukraine war

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Image source: sky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported two Chinese nationals who were combatants among Russian forces were arrested by the Ukrainian military in the Donetsk area. This is the first time this has happened since the conflict began over three years ago and is another point of contention about China's role in the conflict. Identification documents, bank cards, and private data were found on the arrested individuals, now in Ukraine's Security Service custody, Zelenskyy reported.

Zelenskyy explained that this shows Russian President Vladimir Putin's intention to prolong the war, despite attempts at peace being made, led by U.S. President Donald Trump. He added that Kyiv suspects more Chinese are combatants for Russia and has formally requested Beijing for an explanation. Ukrainian officials argue that this tarnishes China as a neutral player and questions its role as a responsible member of the UN Security Council.

China has denied the charges. According to a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, there is no basis on which such an accusation can be made and China reiterated its support for resolving the crisis peacefully. Beijing has over and again stood in the middle, supporting peace talks while strengthening economic ties with Russia, most notably in oil trade and ongoing business intercourse.

Although this is the first confirmed capture of Chinese citizens, there were earlier unverified reports that Chinese mercenaries were fighting in Ukraine. In 2023, there were some media reports and social media speculation that Chinese were included in Russian forces, but those were not officially confirmed until today. Zelenskyy's recent claim focused fresh attention on to these earlier speculations.

The conflict in Russia-Ukraine has drawn foreign fighters from most nations. Russia has contracted the services of Nepalese, Indian, and Sri Lankan mercenaries, whereas Ukraine has seen foreign volunteers, including United States citizens, form part of their army. Russian forces also include North Korean troops, against which Kyiv and Western nations have accused them. The fact that foreign nationals participate on either side shows how global the conflict has become.

Despite successive rounds of peace talks, including negotiations in Saudi Arabia, the rhythm has been glacial. Both sides accused the other of violating the March called Black Sea ceasefire ever since. Zelenskyy more recently warned that repeated Russian raids, even by the territory demarcated as being under agreement, suggest Russia isn't seriously thinking about a peaceful solution. Capture of the Chinese combatants could now render diplomacy even harder.