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Chinese mercenary POWs speak out on role in Ukraine war: 'Russia is not strong'

Published: 15 Apr. 2025, 14:14

Chinese nationals Zhang Renbo, left, and Wang Guangjung, right, look on during a press conference in Kyiv on April 14. Zhang and Wang were captured by Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region during what they claimed to be their first combat mission on the frontline. [AFP/YONHAP]

Two Chinese nationals captured in Ukraine after joining the Russian military as mercenaries claimed they were deceived by false promises made by Russians.

The Chinese nationals, Wang Guangjung, 34, and Zhang Renbo, 27, spoke at a press conference organized by Ukraine’s Security Service, where they shared how they came to fight in the war and eventually became prisoners of war (POWs), according to the Kyiv Independent on Monday.

Wang said he saw an advertisement for enlisting in the Russian military on TikTok, which led him to contact a recruiter in China and sign up as a mercenary. He was told he would receive 200,000 rubles per month — around 3,460,000 won ($2,440) — which was higher than the average monthly wage in China.

However, Wang said he never received the money. He claimed that the Russians took his bank card and mobile phone, so he had no way to access the wages.

Zhang, who previously worked as a firefighter in China, said he came to Russia in December 2024. Initially promised a job in construction, he later enlisted in the Russian military and was also deployed to the frontlines in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine.

Both men said they encountered other foreign fighters in their unit, including people from Central Asia and Iraq.

Chinese nationals Zhang Renbo, left, and Wang Guangjung, right, attend a press conference in Kyiv on April 14. Zhang and Wang were captured by Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region during what they claimed to be their first combat mission on the frontline. [AFP/YONHAP]

Wang claimed he was captured just three days after being deployed and said he never killed a single Ukrainian soldier. Zhang similarly stated that he didn’t even see any Ukrainian soldiers before he was captured.

“Everything we heard from the Russians was a lie,” both men said during the press conference. “It turned out that Russia is not that strong, and Ukraine is not that weak. That's why it's better not to participate in wars at all.”

Now held in custody in Kyiv, the two prisoners expressed a desire to return to China.

“I understand that there may be punishment, and I am ready for it,” Zhang said during the press conference. “But I still want to return home and to my family.”

Servicemen of Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) escort Chinese national Zhang Renbo upon his arrival to attend a press conference in Kyiv on April 14. [AFP/YONHAP]

“Real war is completely different from what we have seen in movies and on TV,” Zhang added. He also warned that any Chinese person thinking about joining the war in Ukraine should not do it.

Previously, Chinese authorities had strongly denied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s claim that hundreds of Chinese nationals were fighting for Russia, calling his remarks “irresponsible.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]