The Kyiv Independent attended a press conference with the captured Chinese prisoners of war on April 14 to learn more about their service in the Russian military — and has highlighted the key takeaways for you.
The two Chinese nationals captured when fighting for Russia claimed they weren’t sent to the war by the Chinese government, and described their hardships in the Russian ranks. One of the captives, Wang Guangjun, said he was targeted by Russian "chemical weapons" right after he was taken captive by
"Putin was not satisfied with soldiers from North Korea. Now he is trying to cover his shortages by pulling in yet another nation — the Chinese," the president said.
The Ukrainian military recently captured two Chinese soldiers fighting for Russia. Kyiv subsequently released data on a total of 163 Chinese nationals identified by Ukrainian intelligence as fighting for Moscow. "We are collecting information, we believe that there are many more," President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists on April 9. The
It's no secret that U.S. officials have been trying to drive a wedge between Russia and its key ally, China. Former United States Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg was among the government officials who made the intention public, saying that the U.S. would try to
Moscow's restrictions allow Russian authorities to seize and keep hard-to-get Western-sanctioned goods, which can then be used to manufacture weapons for the war against Ukraine.
Chinese refiners are being offered Russian ESPO crude at discounted prices as rising concerns over U.S. sanctions create logistical and administrative challenges, deterring buyers, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 11.
As Russia's options to purchase gallium and germanium from around the world almost disappeared, China became the sole supplier in 2023, the investigation said, citing leaked data from Russian customs databases.
Xi Jinping stressed that bilateral cooperation between Beijing and Moscow is gradually expanding and that joint trade is trending upward.
In 2024, 108.5 million metric tons were imported from Russia, including through pipelines and sea deliveries.
"Today's actions frustrate the Kremlin's ability to circumvent our sanctions and get access to the goods they need to build weapons for their war of choice in Ukraine," said Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Wally Adeyemo.
The decrease of 10.5% compared to November 2023 marks the first drop since July, Reuters writes.
The latest Western sanctions against 50 Russian banks forced Russian importers to use complex and underhand schemes to pay their Chinese sellers, the Moscow Times reported on Dec. 2, citing undisclosed business sources.
"We have had reports from intelligence sources on the existence of a factory inside China producing drones which are shipped to Russia," a senior EU official told Politico on Nov. 15.
United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has been urging China, which maintains relations with North Korea, to put pressure on Pyongyang to withdraw North Korean troops from Ukraine's front line, CNN reported on Oct. 29, citing a U.S. official.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sept. 27 during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. This meeting between the top diplomats of both countries comes in response to increasing U.S. concerns regarding Chinese companies supplying chips
Key developments on Sept. 24: * Ukraine regains control of Vovchansk aggregate plant, military intelligence says * Russia attacks Kharkiv's densely populated districts, killing 3, injuring 34 * Russia to maintain record high defense spending in 2025, Bloomberg reports * Around 60% of foreign parts in Russian weapons come via China, Ukraine says * 'Temporary'
Russia began producing a new long-range attack drone, the Garpiya-A1, using a Chinese engine and other parts in 2023, Reuters reported on Sept. 13, citing two undisclosed sources in European intelligence and obtained documents.
The North-Joint 2024 will take place in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, with the aim of "enhancing strategic cooperation between the Chinese and Russian militaries and their ability to jointly respond to security threats," the Chinese Defense Ministry said.
Banks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been rejecting transactions from Russian companies for electronic components and consumer electronics from China since early August, the pro-Kremlin outlet Kommersant reported on Aug. 28.
Russia and China are discussing the possibility of a barter trade, with the first deal involving agriculture expected as early as this autumn, Reuters reported on Aug. 8, citing three undisclosed trade and payment sources.
According to sources cited by Kommersant, Chinese banks routinely let Russian yuan payments delay for several weeks before ultimately rejecting them, often without providing a reason.
Russian and Chinese bombers were intercepted in international space by US F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, as well as Canadian CF-18 fighter jets. Support aircraft were also involved in the operation, according to CNN.
Supplies of semiconductors and other dual-use goods to Russia have fallen by a fifth in 2024, Reuters reported on July 22, citing data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The United States plans to impose new sanctions against Chinese entities that fuel Russia's war in Ukraine. Chinese banks may also be targeted.
A bipartisan congressional committee urged the White House on July 15 to reveal whether Russia is sharing insights on U.S. weapons used on the front lines in Ukraine with China, Reuters reported.
The day before, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that alliance members agree that China is a "decisive enabler" of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia's reliance on China has developed to the point where Beijing could end a war with one phone call, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in an interview with Bloomberg.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kazakhstan on July 3 for regional security and defense discussions, according to the Kremlin. He is also set to hold a series of bilateral meetings with leaders from China and Turkey.
Chinese companies are allegedly developing attack drones similar to the Iranian-produced Shahed-type drone to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on July 2, citing European officials familiar with the matter.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who skipped Ukraine's peace summit in June, is expected to participate in the event in Astana as well, the U.N. in Kazakhstan reported on X.
According to Kommersant's sources, Bank of China will refuse to accept payments from any sanctioned Russian bank starting on June 24.
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