Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, revealed on Tuesday that the Ukrainian military has apprehended two Chinese individuals who were fighting alongside the Russian army in the eastern Donetsk region. The confrontation took place near the villages of Tarasivka and Bilohorivka, where six Chinese military personnel were engaged in combat with Ukrainian troops. Zelenskyy highlighted that previously, North Korean soldiers were captured in Russia’s Kursk border region, while the Chinese individuals were apprehended on Ukrainian soil.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine has intelligence indicating that there are a significant number of Chinese nationals fighting alongside the Russians in the ongoing conflict that has lasted for over three years. He shared a video of one of the captured Chinese men and stated that Ukraine intends to promptly contact Beijing to address the situation.
Following the capture, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, raised concerns about China’s apparent support for peace, questioning Beijing’s credibility as a responsible permanent member of the UN Security Council. Despite providing diplomatic backing to Russia during its invasion of Ukraine, China has not been known to supply weapons or military expertise, unlike Iran and North Korea, which have reportedly even deployed troops.
In a separate development, reports indicate that Russia is close to reclaiming full control of the western Kursk region after displacing Ukrainian forces from the settlement of Guyevo. This ongoing push by Russia to remove Ukrainian presence from Kursk has been a strategic focus since last August. The situation has intensified as both sides prepare for potential spring-summer campaigns, aiming to capitalize on favorable conditions for battlefield gains.
Amid the conflict, General Christopher Cavoli of the U.S. European Command reassured that Ukrainian forces are in robust defensive positions and have inflicted significant casualties on Russian troops in recent engagements. He expressed confidence that Ukraine is not currently facing an imminent collapse and highlighted the challenges Russia is encountering in making substantial advances, contrasting with their gains in the previous autumn.
The evolving dynamics in the region underscore the complexities and shifting alliances amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
