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China Secretly Trained Around 200 Russian Soldiers for Combat in Ukraine
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China secretly trained around 200 Russian military personnel on its territory at the end of last year, with some of those troops later returning to fight in Ukraine, Reuters reported on May 19, citing data from three European intelligence services.
According to the report, the training program was formalized under a Russian-Chinese agreement signed by senior military officers from both countries in Beijing on July 2, 2025.
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Under the reported arrangement, roughly 200 Russian servicemen were scheduled to undergo training at military facilities in Beijing and Nanjing, while Russia was expected to host and train several hundred Chinese military personnel in exchange.
The agreement allegedly included strict confidentiality provisions, banning media coverage of the exchanges in both countries and prohibiting the sharing of information with third parties.
According to intelligence findings cited by Reuters, the Russian personnel received instruction in areas such as drone warfare, electronic warfare systems, army aviation, and mechanized infantry operations.
European intelligence officials said Chinese drone manufacturers and defense-related industries supplied Russian troops with access to advanced technologies and modern training practices, including the use of flight simulation systems.
A large share of the Russian participants reportedly consisted of senior military instructors, enabling the knowledge acquired in China to be further disseminated throughout Russian command structures.
Officials also noted that Chinese military delegations have reportedly been visiting Russia since at least 2024. However, the training of Russian troops on Chinese territory represents what intelligence services described as a new level of military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow.
By providing operational and tactical training to Russian soldiers later deployed in the war against Ukraine, China appears to have become more directly connected to Russia’s military campaign than previously believed, .
One European intelligence agency reportedly identified several Russian servicemen — ranging from junior sergeants to lieutenant colonels — who, after completing training in China, took part in drone-related combat operations in occupied Crimea and Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region.
China and Russia proclaimed a “no limits” strategic partnership shortly before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, pledging to expand military cooperation and strengthen joint defense activities, including military exercises.
At the same time, Russia launched a three-day exercise involving its nuclear forces on May 19, mobilizing around 64,000 troops and 7,800 units of military equipment just hours before Russian leader Vladimir Putin departed for a two-day trip to China.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the drills, scheduled to continue through May 21, involve several branches of the country’s armed forces.
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