Chinese POW reveals reasons for joining Russian army
- 9 April, 13:11
A Chinese prisoner captured by Ukrainian assault group in eastern Donetsk region on Tuesday, has revealed the reasons behind joining the ranks of the Russian army.
According to Ukrainska Pravda publication, the Chinese national joined the Russian army for the purpose of receiving a Russian citizenship and gaining real combat experience. Moreover, the Chinese man allegedly paid 300,000 rubles or $2,200 out of his pocket to an intermediary in China who helped him join the Russian army. The Chinese hostage, whose video was first shared on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s social media account on Tuesday, said he received a military training in Russian-occupied Luhansk region. However, the training was held without the involvement of an interpreter and with the help of sign language and mobile phone. The Chinese man was captured by soldiers of Ukraine’s 81st separate mechanized brigade along with another Chinese and Russian soldier.
Announcing the capture of two Chinese mercenaries in Ukraine’s territory, Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Russia was seeking to “directly or indirectly” involve China in its war of invasion in Ukraine. He asserted that the recruitment of Chinese fighters into Russian army displays Kremlin’s unwillingness to reach a peace deal. The Ukrainian leader also urged response from China.
Beijing, in response, verified the reports of the capture of two of its nations by Ukrainian troops and reiterated Beijing’s commitment to remain neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war. "The Chinese government has always asked its citizens to stay away from areas of armed conflict and avoid involvement in armed conflicts in any form,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in a statement on Wednesday. The statement is aligned with Beijing’s neutral position in the war as well as with its aspirations to act as a mediator between Moscow and Kyiv during peace negotiations, despite China’s growing economic relations with Russia.
