MORE than a hundred Chinese soldiers are fighting alongside the Russians after being recruited on TikTok, president Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed.
He said that Kyiv had details of more than 150 Chinese nationals deployed at the frontlines after claiming Ukraine's army fighting in the eastern Donetsk region.
A video shared by Zelensky today showed a snippet from interrogatons of the two captured Chinese fighters.
The clip also showed pictures of two Chinese passport – understood to belong to them.
In the short five-minute clip, one of the Chinese fighter, named Zhang Renbo, revealed details about his fight against the Ukrainians.
He said: “It was my first combat experience. I was given an AK-47. Before that I have never had a weapon.”
Zelesnky claimed Russia was and other Chinese social networks.
The Ukrainian intelligence released a document contained the alleged names and passport details of 168 Chinese citizens that Kyiv said had been recruited by Russia's army.
Zelensky said he believed there were “many more” and that further information was being gathered.
“It is clear how they recruit them. One of the schemes is through social media, in particular TikTok and other Chinese social networks, where Russians distribute commercials,” Zelensky said.
He did not accuse Beijing of having directly sent the soldiers, but said Chinese authorities were “aware” they were being recruited.
The president said: “The ‘Chinese' issue is serious. There are 155 people with names and passport details who are fighting against Ukrainians on the territory of Ukraine.”
“Beijing is aware of this.”
Zelensky had earlier wearing military fatigues and with their hands tied off.
In the video, the prisoner mimicked combat sounds and uttered several words in Mandarin.
The Ukrainian army said Chinese ID cards and contracts for Russian military service had been found on them.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian had earlier rejected Zelensky's previous claim that “many” Chinese citizens had been recruited by Russia to fight as “absolutely groundless”.
He said: “The Chinese government has always asked its citizens to stay away from areas of armed conflict [and] avoid involvement in armed conflicts in any form.”
He added that Beijing was verifying relevant information about the captured Chinese citizens with Kyiv.
Zelensky said he had received signals that Washington viewed Chinese nationals fighting for Russia as “unacceptable”.
It comes as a time when both the countries are involved in a brutal tit-for-tat war of trade.
The president added that China's involvement in the war is a “clear signal” that Putin wants to drag the war.
“He is looking for a way to continue the war. This definitely requires a reaction. A reaction from the United States, Europe, and everyone in the world who wants peace.”
China is one of the biggest allies of and has been accused by the West of helping with weapons.
However, Beijing has repeatedly denied the allegations that it has helped thefight against the Ukrainians.
Soldiers from various countries have so far taken part in the Russia-Ukraine war – and it does not mean an official intervention by their home countries.
Thousands of troops fromalso joined the war to supportagainst Ukraine.
Meanwhile, after Kyiv claimed that two Chinese nationals were captured fighting in Ukraine.
Ther Kremlin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said: “I cannot comment on this information in any way.”
Military analyst Michael Clarke said that the reported arrest of two Chinese soldiers could be “very serious indeed” as it could mean that, contrary to its official claims, China is backing Russia militarily.
Clarke said that if Chinese soldiers are operating on state orders it would cross “quite a big legal line”.
He said: “That would mean that the Chinese are sending individuals to fight in a contested area to join an invasion of a foreign country.”
The military expert added: “The Chinese would pretend that that isn't the truth. And the Russians would say that Donetsk is Russian territory, but legally, of course, it isn't.
