China secretly trained 200 Russian troops in late 2025, some deployed to Ukraine, European intelligence says

China secretly trained about 200 Russian military personnel in China in late 2025, some of whom have since returned to fight in Ukraine, Reuters reported on 19 May, citing three European intelligence agencies and documents it reviewed.

The training was outlined in a dual-language Russian-Chinese agreement signed by senior officers from both countries in Beijing on 2 July 2025. The agreement provided for Russian troops to train at Chinese military facilities including in Beijing and Nanjing, while hundreds of Chinese personnel would train in Russia. It prohibited any media coverage in either country or disclosure to third parties.

Four internal Russian military reports reviewed by Reuters described the training sessions after they took place. One December 2025 report covered combined-arms warfare for about 50 personnel at a People's Liberation Army Ground Force facility. A Russian major wrote a report describing drone training at the PLA's military aviation center in Yibin using flight simulators and FPV drones. A November 2025 course at the Nanjing University of Military Engineering covered explosives, mine construction, demining, and clearing unexploded ordnance, with photographs showing Russian soldiers in uniform being taught by Chinese instructors. The training also covered electronic warfare, army aviation, armored infantry, and counter-drone measures, the documents and assessments said.

One European intelligence agency confirmed the identities of Russian soldiers who trained in China and were then directly involved in drone combat operations in occupied Crimea and Russian-occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, with ranks from junior sergeant to lieutenant colonel. Their names appeared in a Russian military document listing personnel traveling to China. Reuters said it could not independently verify those individuals' subsequent role in the war, and the agency assessed it was highly probable that many who trained in China had gone to Ukraine.

A senior European intelligence official said: "By training Russian troops at the operational and tactical levels for deployment to Ukraine, Beijing is far more directly involved in the war in Europe than previously understood."

China's foreign ministry said: "On the Ukraine crisis, China has consistently maintained an objective and impartial stance and worked to promote peace talks." China denies any direct military role in the war and casts itself as a neutral mediator. The defence ministries of Russia and China did not respond to requests for comment.

The report comes as Chinese leader Xi Jinping hosts Russian leader Vladimir Putin on 19-20 May, less than a week after the visit of US President Donald Trump.