According to recent reporting, Chinese military forces are allegedly training Russian personnel for the war in Ukraine. The German newspaper “Welt” cites secret documents from various European intelligence agencies to support this claim.
The report alleges that by the end of 2025, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted covert training programs for several hundred Russian soldiers across six different military sites within China. These trainees reportedly consisted of men of various ranks and generations, born between the 1970s and 2001. Following this operational and tactical training, dozens of these Russian soldiers were reportedly involved in combat operations in Ukraine starting in early 2026, some taking on leadership roles. Furthermore, among the participants trained in China were individuals affiliated with “Rubicon” recognized as a Russian elite drone unit whose presence has often significantly influenced the fighting in Ukrainian front regions.
These developments increase pressure on China’s carefully maintained image as a neutral major power amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Beijing’s previously proposed 12-point plan to facilitate negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, presented in 2023, has already been met with significant skepticism in Europe. The now-publicized cooperation in training, coupled with extensive shipments of Chinese dual-use goods to Russia, casts further doubt on the supposed neutrality of Beijing.
