China Secretly Trained Approximately 200 Russian Soldiers Who Returned to Fight in Ukraine

Reuters reported on May 19, citing three European intelligence agencies and a Russian-Chinese training agreement the outlet reviewed directly, that China's armed forces covertly trained approximately 200 Russian military personnel at PLA facilities in late 2025 123. The agreement, signed by senior officers from both countries in Beijing on July 2, 2025, designated training at sites in Beijing, Nanjing, Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou, and Yibin, covering drone warfare, electronic warfare, armored infantry, explosives handling, and demining; in exchange, hundreds of Chinese military personnel were to undergo training in Russia 12. One of the three agencies told Reuters it had confirmed the identities of Russian servicemen, ranging from junior sergeant to lieutenant colonel, who trained in China and later participated in drone combat operations in Crimea and Zaporizhzhia Oblast 12. China's foreign ministry denied involvement, telling Reuters that Beijing has "consistently maintained an objective and impartial stance" on Ukraine 134.