China secretly trained Russian soldiers

The Chinese armed forces secretly trained about 200 Russian military personnel in China late last year, and some of them have since returned to fight in Ukraine, according to three European intelligence agencies and documents seen by Reuters.

Although China and Russia have held several joint military exercises since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Beijing has repeatedly stated that it is neutral in the conflict and presents itself as a peacemaker.

The secret training, which focused largely on the use of drones, was outlined in a bilingual Russian-Chinese agreement signed in Beijing by senior Russian and Chinese officers on July 2, 2025.

The agreement, seen by Reuters, says about 200 Russian soldiers will be trained at military facilities in locations including Beijing and the eastern city of Nanjing. The sources said about the same number would then receive training in China.

The agreement also states that hundreds of Chinese soldiers will undergo training at military facilities in Russia.

By training Russian military personnel at the operational and tactical levels, who then participate in the war in Ukraine, China is significantly more directly involved in the war on the European continent than previously known, an intelligence official said.

“When it comes to the Ukraine crisis, China has consistently maintained an objective and impartial stance and worked to promote peace talks. This is consistent and clear, and the international community has witnessed it,” China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement to Reuters. “Relevant parties should not deliberately incite confrontation or shift blame.”

Intelligence sources spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, as they may discuss sensitive information.

European powers, which see Russia as a major security threat, are cautiously watching the increasingly close relations between Russia and China, the world's second-largest economy and an important trading partner of the European Union.

The two countries, days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, announced a "borderless" strategic partnership and pledged to hold military exercises to practice coordination between their armed forces. While the West tried to isolate Russia, China offered it a lifeline by buying its oil, gas, and coal.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday and today, less than a week after US President Donald Trump's high-profile visit.

Drone war

Drones have proven to be a key weapon in Ukraine.

Both sides use long-range models to attack targets hundreds of miles away, while on the battlefield, smaller drones, piloted remotely using first-person view (FPV) equipment and armed with explosives, dominate the skies, making the movement of armored vehicles or infantry dangerous.

Reuters reported in September that experts from private Chinese companies were working on the technical development of military drones for a Russian attack drone manufacturer, according to European officials. China's Foreign Ministry said at the time that it was unaware of the collaboration.

The European Union imposed sanctions last month against two companies identified in the article.

According to a training agreement reviewed by Reuters, the Russians were to be trained in areas such as drones, electronic warfare, army aviation and armored infantry. The agreement prohibited any media coverage of the visits to either country and stated that third parties should not be notified.

Visits by Chinese soldiers to Russia for training have been taking place since at least 2024, but the training of Russian personnel in China is new, two intelligence agencies said.

Although Russia has extensive combat experience in Ukraine, China's vast drone industry offers technological know-how and advanced training methods, such as flight simulators, the agencies said.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army has not fought a major war in decades, but it has expanded rapidly in the last 20 years and now rivals the military might of the United States in some areas.

A significant number of Russian personnel trained in China were ranked military instructors, who were in a position to pass knowledge down the chain of command, two intelligence agencies said.

One of the agencies stated that it had confirmed the identities of several Russian military personnel who had received training in China and who had since been directly involved in combat drone operations in the occupied Ukrainian regions of Crimea and Zaporozhye.

The ranks of these individuals ranged from junior sergeant to lieutenant colonel, the agency said.

The same intelligence agency stated that it is highly likely that many of those who received training in China went to Ukraine.