Chinese Mercenary Captured in Ukraine: "The Promise of 30 Million Won Was a Lie... Prisoner Treatment Is Better"

Press Conference Held in Kyiv
Joined for Money, But Claim of Unpaid Wages
Added, "I Want to Return to My Hometown Where My Family Is"

On the 14th (local time), two Chinese nationals who were captured while fighting as Russian mercenaries in the Donetsk region of Ukraine held a press conference for global media in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. At the conference hosted by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), prisoners Zhang Renbo (張仁波, 27) and Wang Guangjun (王廣軍, 34) stated, "The Russian military treated foreign mercenaries harshly," and added, "The actual war was horrific, unlike what is shown on TV or in movies."

Two Chinese nationals who were captured while fighting as Russian mercenaries in the Donetsk region of Ukraine recently held a press conference for global media in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, on the 14th (local time). Photo by EPA and Yonhap News.

At the press conference, Mr. Wang revealed, "I joined after seeing an advertisement on TikTok in China." He explained that he traveled through Kazan in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and southern Rostov-on-Don before moving to the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Mr. Wang said, "Once I entered the Russian military training camp, soldiers followed me with guns even when I went to the bathroom to prevent desertion. There was absolutely no way to escape."

Another prisoner, Mr. Zhang, said, "I entered Russia for tourism purposes but ended up joining the Russian military." He added, "However, I never expected to be captured by the Ukrainian forces," and said he was taken prisoner just a few days after participating in combat. In particular, Mr. Zhang stated that he volunteered after seeing an advertisement promising 2 million rubles (approximately 34.6 million KRW) upon enlistment, but he was unable to actually use the money. He claimed, "I received a card with 200,000 rubles (about 3.46 million KRW) deposited, but the Russians regularly took the phone linked to the card and its app under the pretext of fuel expenses and used it." After enlistment, Mr. Zhang was deployed to the front line in Donetsk, Ukraine, where he lived with other foreign soldiers and was captured in his first battle on the 5th of this month.

The Reality of the Russian Military is Very Harsh: "Lack of Water and Electricity" Claims

Currently staying at a detention center in Kyiv, both prisoners expressed their desire to return to China. Mr. Wang said, "I understand and am prepared for the possibility of punishment since I participated in the war, but I still want to return to my hometown where my family is." He emphasized, "If there are Chinese people who want to join the Ukraine war, I want to tell them not to."

Mr. Wang said, "The barracks at the training camp in Rostov, southern Russia, had power outages and water barely came out." He also said, "Food supplies were not properly provided either. Sometimes we only got one meal every day or two. Even after training until 4 or 5 a.m., all we got back was a little rice." He added, "Many Chinese mercenaries are expressing dissatisfaction due to brutal acts, racial discrimination, and wage arrears."

Mr. Wang, who claimed that some people committed suicide due to the harsh conditions, emphasized, "One of the foreign mercenaries made an extreme choice in the middle of the night," adding, "However, internal control was so strict that no one knew the reason." Both individuals asserted, "The treatment of prisoners in Ukraine is at least much better than that of the Russian military." AFP·Yonhap News

Claiming that some even committed suicide due to the harsh conditions, Mr. Wang said, "One foreign mercenary made an extreme choice in the middle of the night, but the internal control was so strict that no one knew the reason." Both men asserted, "The treatment of prisoners by Ukraine is at least much better than that of the Russian military." They also said, "Russian commanders never considered the possibility of being captured," and added, "They only told us foreign mercenaries that if we were caught by the Ukrainian forces, we would be brutally killed."

Finally, both Mr. Wang and Mr. Zhang shuddered as they described the reality of war they experienced as horrific. Mr. Wang said, "The real war was completely different from what I saw on TV or in movies. When you are actually deployed in combat, you don’t realize how long each minute and second feels." Mr. Zhang said, "My parents don’t even know that I joined the Russian military. I only regret participating in the war," and added, "I was lucky to survive after being captured."

On the 8th, Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, claimed, "We have captured two Chinese nationals who joined the Russian military as prisoners of war. Currently, more than 150 Chinese nationals are fighting as part of the Russian military, and the Chinese government is aware of this but is turning a blind eye." AP·Yonhap News

Both expressed, "We want to go home quickly and see our parents." The two prisoners also pointed out that public opinion inside China is being swayed by Russian claims. Mr. Wang emphasized, "In China, you often hear that Russia is strong and Ukraine is backward, but that is all false," and said, "I want to tell the Chinese diaspora not to get involved in this war under any circumstances."

Earlier, on the 8th, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed, "We have captured two Chinese nationals who joined the Russian military as prisoners, and more than 150 Chinese are currently fighting as part of the Russian forces. The Chinese government is aware of this but is turning a blind eye." In response, both the Chinese and Russian governments dismissed the claims as "baseless."