Elizabeth Wishnick
On April 8, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that over 163 Chinese nationals have been fighting for Russia, including 155 on Ukrainian territory, and that the Ukrainian military had captured two of them, identified as Wang Guangjun and Zhang Renbo. According to the Kyiv Independent, which reviewed a Ukrainian intelligence document about the Chinese mercenaries, the Ukrainian government obtained passport data for some of these recruits.
Although this relatively small number of Chinese mercenaries will not have a major impact on Russia’s ability to conduct the war, their presence provides new insight into China’s role in this conflict within the context of its overall approach to security in conflict zones.
What the Chinese Mercenaries Told Journalists
The presence of the Chinese mercenaries alongside the Russian military in Ukraine likely was not news to users of Douyin, the popular Chinese video app (internationally branded as TikTok). Reports from Chinese nationals fighting for Russia have been posted on Douyin for months.
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