Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this week that Ukrainian forces have apprehended two Chinese nationals.
He made the announcement via a Telegram video showing a prisoner of war who appeared distressed.
“Our military has captured two Chinese citizens fighting within the Russian army,” Zelenskyy stated in the video. “This occurred within Ukrainian territory, specifically in the Donetsk region.”
“We possess documents from these prisoners, including bank cards and personal data. We have information suggesting a considerably larger presence of Chinese citizens within the occupier’s units than just these two,” he added.
“We are currently investigating all the details,” he continued. “Intelligence services, the SBU, and relevant units of the Armed Forces are working on this. I have instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to immediately contact Beijing to ascertain China’s reaction to this situation.”
“Russia’s direct or indirect involvement in this war in Europe sends a clear signal that Putin will do anything but end the war. He is seeking ways to prolong the conflict. This demands a response from the United States, Europe, and all peace-seeking nations worldwide.”
This incident follows the capture of two North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russia in January by Ukrainian forces.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed that the Ukrainian military captured two North Korean soldiers on January 9 in the Kursk battlefield in Russia.
Ukraine’s military reports that North Korean soldiers are wearing Russian military uniforms and carrying fake military IDs, a tactic that Andrii Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, suggests could enable Moscow and “its representatives at the U.N. to deny the facts.”