A Chinese man who said he fought for Russia said he couldn’t even go to the bathroom without an armed escort

• Two Chinese language prisoners of warfare spoke to the press on Monday, describing life beneath Russian forces.

• Each Chinese language males mentioned they had been duped into turning into frontline troopers for Russia.

• One in all them mentioned it was not possible to flee as a result of he was always being watched.

A Chinese language man who mentioned he was tricked into combating for Russia’s army advised reporters on Monday that he was guarded so intently he could not go to the toilet alone.

Recognized by Ukraine as 34-year-old Wang Guangjun, the person mentioned at a Kyiv press convention that he had entered Russia believing he can be a rehabilitation therapist for Moscow’s troops, solely to find he was being deployed on the entrance strains.

Ukraine mentioned on Wednesday that Wang and one other Chinese language man, 27-year-old Zhang Renbao, had been captured in Donetsk. Enterprise Insider couldn’t independently confirm statements from the prisoners of warfare.

Each males mentioned they had been chatting with the press in hopes that China would discover their state of affairs and negotiate for his or her launch. In addition they denied combating in opposition to Ukraine voluntarily.

Wang described himself as being trapped after reporting for work in Moscow in early 2025, after which he was despatched for a few days of training and later to Ukraine’s entrance strains.

“Escape is not possible. As a result of from the second you enter the coaching camp, if you happen to go to the toilet in the course of the evening, there will probably be a guard with a loaded gun following you,” mentioned Wang.

“And through coaching, your commander will maintain a detailed eye on you. You might have completely no alternative to flee. Anyway, Russia is full of army police, even if you happen to attempt to run, there’s nowhere to go,” he added.

Zhang — who mentioned he was beforehand a rescue employee and firefighter in Shanghai — and Wang advised Ukrainian and worldwide reporters that they had been promised month-to-month salaries of as much as 280,000 rubles, or about $3,400.

However they mentioned they had been typically left at nighttime and could not talk nicely with their Russian-speaking officers. Wang added that he surrendered his cell phone and was uncertain if he was paid in any respect.

“I can very actually inform everybody that I completely do not know the specifics,” Wang mentioned. “As a result of every part that concerned us was saved secret.”

Russia’s Protection Ministry didn’t reply to a request for remark despatched outdoors common enterprise hours by BI.

Wang and Zhang describe their seize

Wang mentioned he was deployed on April 1 in Donetsk with a unit that glided by the “seventh” — which could possibly be a reference to Russia’s seventh Motorized Rifle Brigade. The Chinese language man mentioned he may solely talk along with his commanders through sounds and hand gestures.

He advised reporters that on April 4, he and a number of other troopers had been despatched to advance on the front lines in northern Donetsk. Wang mentioned that as they neared their vacation spot, a Russian soldier known as his identify and mimicked the sound of a gun firing, urging him to start attacking.

“On the best way there, we had gone by many Russian bunkers, so I assumed we had arrived at our personal pleasant place. I assumed he was joking,” he mentioned. “So I hid to 1 facet.”

Wang then mentioned that the “sky was full of numerous drones” that killed a number of of his comrades. The survivors quickly surrendered to Ukrainian forces, he added.

In the meantime, Zhang mentioned he arrived in Moscow as a vacationer in December and, after in search of work there, was ultimately shipped to Donetsk for a month.

He mentioned he and a small Russian squad had been despatched in late March to advance on foot at the front lines, then spent hours hiding and making an attempt to outlive repeated drone assaults.

“I simply ran and ran and ran, till I finally encountered Ukrainian troopers,” Zhang mentioned.

Ukraine says it has proof that over 150 Chinese language individuals are combating for Russia, however added that there isn’t any signal their presence is sanctioned by Beijing. On Friday, Reuters cited unnamed US officers saying that Washington believes most Chinese language residents combating for Russia are mercenaries.

China, in the meantime, mentioned it has at all times advised its residents to avoid the warfare.

“We name on the related get together to be right and sober about China’s position and chorus from making irresponsible remarks,” a spokesperson for Beijing’s international ministry mentioned on Thursday.

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