Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kiev fought two Chinese nationals with Russian troops in eastern Ukraine.
“There are prisoners’ documents, bank cards and personal data,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
He said the two men have been fighting for the Russians in the eastern part of Donetsk.
Zelensky claims these two are not isolated cases. “We have information that there are more Chinese citizens like this in the occupying forces,” he said.
He directed Ukraine’s acting foreign minister Andrii Sybiha to demand a formal response from Beijing, saying the development was a “clear signal” that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to prolong the war.
“This absolutely needs a response – from everyone in the United States, Europe and the world who want peace,” Zelensky said.
Prisoners are detained by the Ukrainian SBU Security Agency.
Ukraine has defended Russia’s full invasion for more than three years, with strong military and financial support from Western allies.
It is well known that the North Korean army had fought for Russia, and thousands of foreign volunteers are believed to serve on the Ukrainian side.
Ukrainian army operations in Russia
Zelensky publicly acknowledged late Monday that the country’s troops held positions in Russia’s Belgorod region.
“We continue to carry out aggressive actions in the border areas of enemy territory, which is absolutely right. The war must return to its source,” Zelensky said in his night speech in Kiev.
Zelensky also said Ukrainian troops continued their activities in the Kursk region near Russia, with their first invasion in early August.
He said that the actions within Russia are aimed at protecting Ukrainian border areas, especially Kharkif and Sumi.
The Moscow government has not yet officially confirmed that Ukrainian troops operate in Belgorod, but local Belgorod authorities acknowledged that military activity was a part of the region that suffered ongoing Ukrainian fires.
In Kursk, Ukrainian forces have maintained control over parts of the territory for months. However, the troops retreated from most Kursk areas since then.
Some Western analysts have expressed concern that cross-border invasions could waste resources from major battlefields elsewhere in the frontline.
