Secret report reveals China secretly training Russian forces for war in Ukraine

According to the news agency Reuters, European intelligence agencies and documents obtained by them show that China secretly trained about 200 Russian military personnel late last year, some of whom later returned to fight in Ukraine.

Reports indicate that the training took place at military facilities in China, including Beijing and the city of Nanjing, and focused primarily on the use of drones and tactics against them.

According to the Russian-Chinese agreement cited by Reuters, signed in Beijing on July 2, 2025, about 200 Russian troops would be trained in China, while hundreds of Chinese soldiers would also be trained in Russia, writes A2CNN.

An intelligence official told Reuters that the training of Russian forces at the operational and tactical levels, which have subsequently been involved in the war in Ukraine, indicates a more direct Chinese involvement in the conflict than previously reported.

Neither China nor Russia has officially commented on the reported details. China's Foreign Ministry, in a statement to Reuters, stressed that the country maintains an "objective and impartial" stance on the war in Ukraine and supports peace talks.

Meanwhile, Beijing has previously denied any involvement in military cooperation directly related to the war.

The report comes at a time when relations between Russia and China are strengthening, as the two countries have increased military and economic cooperation since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing this week, in a visit that both sides have hailed as a testament to their strategic partnership.

Reuters also reports that China and Russia have conducted joint military exercises and expanded energy cooperation, while the West accuses Beijing of providing Moscow with indirect support through trade and technology.

Drones remain one of the most important weapons in the war in Ukraine, where both sides use unmanned aerial vehicles for long-range and battlefield attacks.