Tuesday | April 29, 2025
A Chinese man who fought for the Russian Army says his commanders punished him by confining him in a dark, steel-barred pit barely large enough to stand in—for 21 days. His alleged offense was a dispute with a superior over access to life-saving protective gear.
The man, who goes by the pseudonym Michael, told CNN he joined Russia’s war in Ukraine hoping to “experience military life abroad.” But after a harrowing year on the frontlines, he now regrets the decision, calling his enlistment in Vladimir Putin’s army “a mistake.”
The 29-year-old said his time in the pit, where he could barely lift his head, extinguished any will to keep fighting for Moscow. Now recovering from battlefield injuries, Michael said he wants to warn others back home against making the same choice.
“I have to speak some truths and warn those irrational Chinese—don’t come here,” he said in a phone interview.
Describing the Russian military as dysfunctional, Michael criticized its outdated equipment, poor logistics, widespread mistreatment, and “severe corruption”—issues that have been widely reported since the war began. “The world’s number two military is a sheer joke,” he added.
Both Russia and Ukraine have relied on foreign fighters during the conflict. But attention turned specifically to Chinese nationals in April, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his forces had captured two Chinese fighters and claimed “many more” were fighting for Russia.
Zelensky demanded an explanation from Beijing, which denied any involvement and reiterated its stance that Chinese citizens should “refrain from participating in military actions of any party.”
Russia’s deputy foreign minister dismissed the claims as “complete untruth,” according to the Russian state news agency TASS. Still, within days, Ukraine publicly displayed the captured Chinese fighters.
Kyiv later reported that it had identified 155 other Chinese nationals fighting for Russia—a number Zelensky believes is likely an underestimate. Both Michael and another Chinese fighter told CNN they were aware of hundreds of others.
A small number of Chinese nationals are also reportedly fighting on the Ukrainian side. CNN confirmed their presence in at least one battalion, though Ukraine’s Land Forces said they could not provide a total, as each unit recruits independently.
Macho propaganda videos
Chinese men have been the target of social media recruitment ads encouraging them to join Russia’s war in Ukraine. These posts—often accompanied by videos—promise high pay and appeal to ideals of masculinity. The videos are in Russian but include Chinese translations, one of which reads: “Aren’t you a man? Be a real man!” It’s unclear who is responsible for the translations.
Such ads first caught Michael’s attention in 2023 on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. Drawn in by these videos and those posted by fellow Chinese fighters already on the frontlines, Michael said his long-dormant military aspirations were reawakened.
Michael had previously served in China’s People’s Liberation Army, leaving in 2018. He told CNN that the videos reignited his enthusiasm for military life. “I felt pretty pumped back then,” he said. “As a former professional soldier in China, I thought there had to be a way for me to contribute here.” He insisted his motives were not political: “I’m just a pure soldier,” he said.
While he could have attempted to fight for Ukraine, he opted for Russia, citing easier visa access. He arrived in Moscow on a tourist visa in November 2023. Initially rejected by the Russian military due to the language barrier, he joined the Wagner mercenary group instead and was deployed to the Donbas region. By May 2024, he had signed a one-year contract with Russia’s Defense Ministry and was sent to Bakhmut—a path followed by many foreign fighters.
Michael said his contract promised 200,000 rubles (about $2,400) a month, with bonuses for capturing territory. In a social media video, he mentioned receiving an additional 50,000 rubles (around $600) for every kilometer gained from Ukrainian forces.
He claimed most of his fellow Chinese fighters were motivated primarily by money. A comment left by a self-identified Chinese mercenary on Douyin summed up the sentiment: “No money, no honor.” CNN traced the IP address of that post to Russia.
Michael explained the financial incentive, saying many Chinese fighters come from disadvantaged backgrounds in a hyper-competitive society with slowing economic growth. Another Chinese national who fought for Russia told CNN that his earnings as a mercenary were triple his previous income back home.
That man, 37, who asked not to be named, said he served with the Russian military for a year starting in July 2023. While unsure exactly why he signed up, he said it wasn’t primarily about money. “Maybe it’s because I feel lost in life, like I’m searching for something,” he said. “I just want to wander. As a man, I have had a kind of hero complex since my childhood.” A former prison guard, he too said his decision wasn’t political, but driven by admiration for Russia’s perceived military strength.
Such admiration is not uncommon in China. According to Maria Repnikova, an expert on Chinese-Russian relations at Georgia State University, Chinese state media often leans pro-Russia. “The Chinese outlets’ coverage of the war has significant impact on public perceptions of this ongoing invasion,” she said.
Some Chinese fighters have publicly echoed Kremlin talking points, describing the war as a “special military operation” and claiming to fight against “Nazi fascism.” Videos of Chinese fighters with buzz cuts, sharing life on the frontlines and chatting with followers, were once common on Douyin. Their account names often featured both Chinese and Russian flags. CNN tracked several of their IP addresses to locations in Russia and Russian-occupied Ukraine.
But after President Zelensky called out the presence of Chinese fighters on the Russian side and raised the issue with Beijing last week, many of these accounts were suddenly blocked. Despite the clampdown, Russian recruitment ads remain accessible across China’s heavily monitored internet.
Michael, once a regular poster of frontline content, said his online activity was restricted even before the most recent censorship wave. He believes the broader ban followed his public comments about mistreatment by the Russian military.
The other Chinese fighter who spoke to CNN returned home in late 2024. Last month, he discovered he had been banned from leaving China, after being stopped at the airport before a planned trip abroad. He suspects the travel restriction is linked to his time fighting for Russia.
Chinese fighters on both sides
Chinese nationals have joined both sides of the war in Ukraine, but those who chose to fight for Ukraine often share a key trait: they’ve spent time outside of China. Unlike many who fight for Russia primarily for financial reasons, these individuals tend to cite ideological motivations.
Jason, a Chinese-born man who moved to the United States during high school, is one such example. In May 2023, he dropped out of a master’s program in computer science at a U.S. university to travel to Lviv, a city in western Ukraine, and enlist in the Ukrainian International Legion. CNN has verified his Chinese passport and enlistment contract.
After four months on the frontlines—dodging artillery in trenches and foxholes—Jason, then serving as an infantryman, applied to join an assault unit. He was denied, he said, because the Ukrainian commander was wary of his Chinese nationality. Looking back, a year after returning to the U.S., Jason called the rejection “a pity” but said he understood the suspicion: “China and Russia are pretty close.”
Jason said his decision to fight was partly driven by China’s threat to take Taiwan by force. That cause is deeply personal. His great-grandfather, a Nationalist soldier, died in China’s civil war in the late 1940s. After the Communist victory, the Nationalist government retreated to Taiwan. Jason said he hoped his involvement in Ukraine might offer a sense of hope to the people of Taiwan—that others would step up to help if China ever invaded.
“I think most of the Chinese people have been brainwashed for a long time,” he said.
Sophie, a PhD student from a top-tier Chinese university, is also attempting to join the Ukrainian International Legion. CNN has reviewed her passport and application documents. She told CNN that she had once been indifferent to politics, but her worldview shifted during a year studying in Europe—away from China’s Great Firewall and pervasive surveillance. That distance, she said, opened her eyes.
Her decision to enlist was inspired by a video she saw about the only known Chinese fighter to have been killed while serving in Ukraine. Sophie said many of her peers back in China still hold pro-Russian views, shaped by a steady flow of Kremlin-aligned content. She admits she once held similar beliefs, shaped by what she called “one-sided information from Russia.”
Similar claims of a distorted narrative were echoed by two Chinese fighters captured by Ukrainian forces. Though likely speaking under duress—under the watch of Ukrainian security forces—their comments suggested they, too, had been misled by the information available to them. Publicly parading captured soldiers is widely considered a violation of international humanitarian law.
Following their capture, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine was investigating whether China’s government had played a role in encouraging its nationals to fight for Russia.
“I don’t have an answer to this question yet. The Security Service of Ukraine will work on it,” Zelensky said. “We are not saying that someone gave any command—we do not have such information.”
China has denied any state involvement. “These claims are groundless,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian in response to Zelensky’s remarks that “many more” Chinese citizens were fighting for Russia. Lin added, “Ukraine should acknowledge China’s efforts and constructive role in seeking a political solution to the crisis.”
After the public exposure of Chinese fighters on the Russian side, China moved swiftly to censor their social media accounts. That reaction was predictable, said Maria Repnikova, an expert on Chinese-Russian relations at Georgia State University. “I am not surprised by the censorship of mercenaries since the capture was a big scandal,” she said.
Repnikova added that while social media has played a significant role in recruiting Chinese fighters, the continued availability of Russian recruitment videos in China is likely due to bureaucratic oversight rather than strategy. The content, she noted, aligns with the broader pro-Russian narrative commonly seen in Chinese media.
Despite being on opposing sides of the battlefield, both Michael—the Chinese mercenary who fought for Russia—and Jason—the volunteer who joined Ukraine’s ranks—share one sobering conclusion: the reality of war was far worse than they had ever imagined.