Ukraine-Russia war latest: Chinese soldiers fighting for Putin have been captured, Zelensky says
Volodymyr Zelensky has alleged that Chinese soldiers have joined Russia’s war effort, two of whom have been taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces.
Kyiv’s forces engaged in battle with six Chinese troops in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian president said on Tuesday, adding that Ukraine believes there are “many more Chinese citizens in the occupier’s units than just these two”.
It comes months after North Korea sent troops to assist the Russian war effort in its Kursk region, where Moscow’s forces reclaimed large swathes of land from Ukraine.
Mr Zelensky, who released a video of one of the captured soldiers, said he had ordered Ukrainian officials to obtain an official explanation from China, which he described as now being part of Russia’s war with Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president has demanded a response from the US and Kyiv’s western allies. “This definitely requires a response. A response from the United States, Europe, and all those around the world who want peace,” he said.
It comes after he confirmed for the first time that Ukrainian troops are operating in Russia’s Belgorod border region.
