China secretly trained group of russian military, and some of them went to war against Ukraine - Reuters

In late 2025, the Chinese military secretly trained approximately 200 russian servicemen on Chinese soil, and some of them later returned to take part in combat operations in Ukraine.

It was reported by Reuters, citing data from three European intelligence services and documents reviewed by the agency.

What is known about the russian-Chinese training agreement?

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

Reuters reviewed the agreement. It reportedly stipulated that approximately 200 russian military personnel would undergo training at military facilities in cities such as Beijing and the eastern city of Nanjing.

According to sources, roughly the same number of military personnel subsequently underwent training in China. The agreement also states that hundreds of Chinese military personnel will undergo training at military facilities in russia.

Visits by Chinese military personnel to russia for training have been taking place since at least 2024, but the training of russian personnel in China is a new development, two intelligence agencies reported. They noted that while russia has extensive combat experience in Ukraine, China’s robust drone industry offers technological know-how and advanced training methods, such as flight simulators.

Under the agreement, the russians were to undergo training in disciplines such as unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare, army aviation, and armored infantry. The agreement prohibited any media coverage of these visits in either country and stipulated that they should not be disclosed to third parties.

According to one intelligence official, by training russian military personnel at the operational and tactical levels—who then participate in the war in Ukraine—China is far more directly involved in the russia-Ukraine war than previously known. At the same time, Beijing has repeatedly declared its neutrality in this conflict and positions itself as a mediator in the peace process.

Russian military personnel trained in China have returned to the war in Ukraine

According to two intelligence services, a significant portion of the russian personnel trained in China consisted of high-ranking military instructors who could pass on their knowledge through the chain of command.

One of the intelligence agencies reported that it had identified several russian servicemen who had been trained in China and had since been directly involved in combat operations using drones in the occupied Crimea and the Zaporizhzhia Region of Ukraine. According to the agency’s information, the ranks of these individuals ranged from junior sergeant to lieutenant colonel.

The names of these individuals appeared in a russian military document reviewed by Reuters. It contained a list of military personnel traveling to China. The agency was unable to independently confirm these individuals’ subsequent participation in the war in Ukraine.

The same intelligence agency stated that there is a high probability that many of those who underwent training in China went to Ukraine.

What the training in China was like?

Internal russian military reports reviewed by Reuters describe four training sessions for russian military personnel in China after they were conducted.

One report from December 2025 detailed a training course on conducting combined arms operations for about 50 russian servicemen at a branch of the Army Infantry Academy in Shijiazhuang. The report noted that the course included training soldiers to fire 82-mm mortars using unmanned aerial vehicles for target detection.

The second report described air defense training at a military facility, specifically involving the use of electronic warfare rifles, net-launching devices, and drones to counter approaching UAVs. Two officials noted that the facility is located in Zhengzhou.

The third report, dated December 2025 and authored by a Russian major, described training for russian personnel in drone operation at Yibin's PLA Training Centre for Military Aviation. As noted in the report, the course was based on multimedia presentations and included the use of flight simulators, as well as training in the operation of several types of FPV drones and two other types of drones.

The fourth report described a course held in November 2025 at Nanjing University of Military Engineering. The training covered explosives technology, mine construction, demining, as well as the removal of unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices.

This report included photographs of russian soldiers in uniform being trained by Chinese instructors in military uniforms. The photos also showed russian soldiers being shown engineering equipment and taught how to conduct demining operations.

The defense ministries of the aggressor states, russia and China, did not respond to requests for comment from the agency regarding the details outlined in the publication.

Meanwhile, Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to host russian president vladimir putin on Tuesday and Wednesday, less than a week after US President Donald Trump’s high-profile visit.

Meanwhile, following the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that both the Chinese and American sides are interested in continuing to facilitate the end of russia’s war against Ukraine.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, meanwhile, the Financial Times, citing sources, claimed that during the summit in Beijing, Xi allegedly told Trump that putin might regret his decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Chinese Foreign Ministry dismissed this report, calling it “pure fabrication.”