Today at 01:04
China secretly trained around 200 Russian military personnel on its territory late last year, with some of those troops later returning to fight in Ukraine, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and statements from three European intelligence agencies, UATV English reports.
The covert program was outlined in a bilingual Russian-Chinese agreement signed in Beijing on July 2, 2025, by senior military officers from both countries.
According to the document, approximately 200 Russian servicemen were scheduled to undergo training at military facilities in Beijing and Nanjing. Intelligence sources cited by Reuters said a similar number ultimately completed the program in China.
The agreement also stipulated that hundreds of Chinese military personnel would receive training at military facilities in Russia.
Under the deal, Russian troops were reportedly trained in drone warfare, electronic warfare systems, army aviation, and armored infantry tactics.
The agreement explicitly prohibited media coverage in either country and stated that no third parties were to be informed about the exchanges.
European intelligence officials said Chinese military visits to Russia had been taking place since at least 2024, but training Russian personnel inside China marks a new phase in military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing.
One intelligence source told Reuters that by training Russian soldiers who later participate in combat operations in Ukraine, China is now more directly involved in the war on European soil than previously understood.
Sources also noted that while Russia possesses extensive battlefield experience from the war, China’s rapidly developing drone industry offers advanced technological expertise and modern training capabilities, including sophisticated flight simulators.
According to the report, many of the Russians trained in China were senior military instructors capable of passing knowledge further down the chain of command.
One European intelligence agency said it identified several Russian servicemen who underwent training in China and later participated in drone combat operations in temporarily occupied Crimea and parts of the Zaporizhzhia region. Their ranks reportedly ranged from junior sergeant to lieutenant colonel.
Although China has repeatedly claimed neutrality regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine and portrays itself as a potential peace mediator, European governments are increasingly concerned about the deepening strategic partnership between Beijing and Moscow.
Russia and China declared a “no limits” strategic partnership shortly before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and have since expanded military coordination and joint exercises.
