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Russia is recruiting Chinese citizens for the war in Ukraine: Bonuses of up to $21,000

2025-04-14 08:22:54Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Russia is recruiting Chinese citizens for the war in Ukraine: Bonuses of up to
Advertisement published on the Chinese social network, Weibo

In an advertisement published on the Chinese social network Weibo, men are seen leaving their jobs to fight for Russia in Ukraine.

The video - which is accompanied by Russian and Chinese subtitles - ends with a call to action, saying: "You are a man. Be a man," adding that recruits can receive bonuses ranging from $7,000 to $21,000 and a monthly income of about $2,400.

This video received thousands of views and is just one of many advertisements circulating online in China, through which attempts are made to send fighters to the battlefield in Ukraine.

Such ads have been in the spotlight since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on April 8 that Kiev had captured two Chinese mercenaries who were fighting for Russia.

He has since accused Russia of carrying out a "systematic campaign" to recruit Chinese soldiers and claimed that the two captured men were among at least 155 other Chinese nationals fighting for Russia's military.

While evidence of Chinese nationals fighting for both Ukraine and Russia has circulated since the early days of the full-scale war, recent comments by Zelensky have prompted greater attention on how Russia has recruited them.

Zelensky's statements add to reports about foreign mercenaries in Ukraine - including exclusive hospitalisation data provided to RFE/RL, which show the true scale of Russia's war casualties. The database also includes a Chinese man, and in messages exchanged with RFE/RL he confirmed that he was a Chinese national who had fought with Russian forces, but declined to provide further details.

Why are Chinese citizens being recruited to fight for Russia?

The biggest motive seems to be financial. Advertisements posted on Chinese social media point out that the pay exceeds the average monthly income outside of major cities in China - and in the comments section of these recruitment ads, questions about pay are often asked, followed by questions about the required level of Russian language proficiency.

However, there is no indication that these soldiers are being sent as part of a Chinese state-sponsored initiative. Many of the recruits have no military experience.

In a video posted on April 9 on Zelensky's social media channels, one of the captured Chinese men says he had never been in the military before and had never held a weapon until he traveled to Russia for training.

Others have signed up for recruitment, wanting to gain experience on the battlefield.

In an interview published last month on YouTube, Chinese journalist Chai Jing spoke to a Chinese citizen while he was on the front lines with Russian forces.

The mercenary introduced himself by his military nickname, explaining how he was recruited. He said he joined Russian forces in late 2023, after flying to Russia on a tourist visa. He described himself as part of an “assault squad” near the front line in eastern Ukraine and shared videos that appeared to show him in Bakhmut during the bloody battles that left the city devastated.

He also described the difficulties he and other foreign soldiers had faced within Russian units, including language barriers and racism.

The fighter said he had previously served in the Chinese military and that money had influenced his decision to join Russian forces, but added that he was also driven by a desire to experience war.

Since then, he has documented his time in the war in Ukraine, posting on Chinese social media platforms.

"I realized that I might die here one day, so I decided to share some real experiences, as the people of China haven't experienced war for a long time," he said.

What is Beijing's reaction to Chinese mercenaries in Ukraine?

China is Russia's closest partner and Western officials say it played an important role in supporting Russia economically during the war.

But China has refrained from sending military aid to Russia. China's Foreign Ministry has also said it is telling its citizens to stay away from the war and that the idea that a large number of Chinese are fighting is "completely unfounded."

Zelensky himself has not gone so far as to say that the Chinese government has authorized the involvement of mercenaries in Ukraine, but he has accused Beijing of turning a blind eye to the recruitment of its citizens by Russia.

There are some indications that Chinese authorities have not made a coordinated effort to stop them from joining Russia in the fighting.

The Chinese internet is heavily censored and social media is monitored and controlled, yet many of these recruitment posts - some of which were published months ago - are still online and being shared./REL


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