China covertly trains Russians for Ukraine fight, sources say

China's armed forces secretly trained

about 200 Russian military personnel in China late last year.

Some of the soldiers have since returned to fight in Ukraine, this according to three European intelligence agencies and documents seen by Reuters.

While China and Russia have held a number of joint military exercises since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Beijing has repeatedly stated it is neutral in the conflict and presents itself as a peace mediator.

The covert training sessions, which predominantly focused on

the use of drones, were outlined in a dual-language

Russian-Chinese agreement signed by senior Russian and Chinese officers in Beijing July 2025.

The agreement detailed 200 Russian

troops would be trained at military facilities in locations

including Beijing and the eastern city of Nanjing

The agreement also said hundreds of Chinese troops would

undergo training at military facilities in Russia.

By training Russian military personnel at an operational and tactical level who then participate in Ukraine, China is far more directly involved in the war on the European continent than

previously known, one intelligence official said.

The Russian and Chinese defence ministries did not respond to Reuter's requests for comment on the matter.

China has repeatedly reiterated that it always upholds an objective and just position on the Ukraine crisis, continuously promotes peace talks, and emphasizes that relevant parties should not deliberately incite confrontation.