EU Officials Confirm Training of Russian Military Personnel in China

The European Union (EU) has confirmed reports that China provided training to “hundreds” of Russian military personnel, some of whom later participated in the war against Ukraine.

This was reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, citing a high-ranking EU official.

According to him, the training took place at several locations within China. He emphasized that this was not a matter of indirect support for Russia, but of direct training of military personnel.

“We have already confirmed, or are currently confirming, that China trained Russian soldiers, some of whom were directly involved in the war against Ukraine. According to the figures I have seen, we are talking about hundreds of people,” he said, adding that the information had been confirmed by relevant EU services.

Officially, China has repeatedly denied supplying weapons to Russia and has stated a neutral position regarding the war in Ukraine.

In May, Reuters, citing data from three European intelligence agencies, reported that China had secretly trained about 200 Russian military personnel on its territory in late 2025.

According to the agency, the training took place at military facilities in Beijing and Nanjing in accordance with a bilateral agreement signed by Russian and Chinese military officials in July 2025. The agreement between Moscow and Beijing also provided for similar training trips by Chinese military personnel to Russia; however, it was the training of Russian personnel on Chinese territory, according to sources, that marked a new stage in cooperation.

According to Reuters, the Russians were trained in the use of drones, electronic warfare systems, military aviation, and armored units. According to the agency, the personnel involved held ranks ranging from junior sergeant to lieutenant colonel.

The Chinese drone industry also provided access to modern technologies and simulators for training drone operators.

One of the European intelligence agencies identified several Russian military personnel who, after training in China, participated in combat operations involving drones in the temporarily occupied Crimea and Zaporizhzhia region.

In addition, in May 2026, it became known that Chinese components had become the most numerous among foreign electronics in Russian Shahed-type strike UAVs, displacing American parts: their share rose to 65%.