“According to prisoners of war of China, agitation calling for joining the Russian army is actively spreading on social networks”, – WRITE: www.radiosvoboda.org
“In China, being a military has a very high status, but not everyone can get this opportunity, so someone can be tempted on such a roller without being able to be a military in China,” one of the prisoners said.
Another citizen of China added: “China promotes a friendly attitude towards Russia and perhaps this is the result of this advertising company. Because it encourages people to trust Russia more and participate in these events. Before coming to Ukraine, any information that was related to the war is information about Russia’s victories. Russia seized it and seized it. The information is presented in that way. ”
“The situation was such that I received a map for which I got 200 thousand rubles, but in fact I could not use this card. That is, this money, along with the phone on which the application was installed, was periodically taken away by the Russians and spent money under the pretext of fuel, chargers and so on, ”explains one of the Chinese citizens.
Another prisoner said he was counting on smaller money because he was not going to fight.
“At first I wanted to get a job related to medical rehabilitation. Because I was doing this work in China. And through the mediator, I was looking for such a job. But when I was already in the Russian army, I had no choice than to do the work I was instructed. All documents were in Russian, so all communication took place with gestures or certain signs. That is, we were simply shown what we need to do, ”he said.
According to the captives of China citizens, they did not understand where they served – probably served in a 7 motorized brigade.
“The commander was the Russian, but we rarely communicated with the commander. Groups of 5 people were organized. The Russians were mostly involved in hard work. Other foreigners, who were also in the unit, were also involved in this work. The Russians are not bad, but kept away, ”they explained.
Both of the prisoners stated that they were ready to exchange and ask the China’s management to take them home.
“We hope that the Chinese government will be able to help exchange between Ukraine and Russia. We will return to China. Relatives do not know that we are captured. In China, wherever you take part in hostilities, you have to punish. However, it is unknown how old. But I still want to go home and my family, ”one of the prisoners said.
The Security Service of Ukraine reported that they carry out the necessary investigative actions to establish all the circumstances of the participation of citizens of the PRC in the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and checks the shows of these prisoners. The investigation is conducted under the procedural guidance of the Attorney General’s office under Art. 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Military Crimes).
Ukrainian legislation also provides for punishment for mercenaries. In particular, Article 447 of the Criminal Code provides for imprisonment for a term of 5 to 10 years for the participation of mercenaries in armed conflict, military or violent actions. In 2023
In response to a request from DW, the Prosecutor General’s office reported that at the time at least 13 cases were registered under the article on hiring.
Read also: Beijing responded to Zelensky’s statements about Chinese citizens who are fighting on the side of the Russian Federation
On April 8, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that in Donetsk the Ukrainian military captured two China citizens who fought in the Russian army.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, commenting on the capture of two Chinese citizens in Ukraine, said it was checking this information. And on April 10, after the next statements of the President of Ukraine in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, they called to refrain from “irresponsible comments”.
The Kremlin stated that Russia did not attract China to the war against Ukraine, and Beijing allegedly occupies a “balanced position”. Thus, the spokesman of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov commented on the statement of Vladimir Zelensky, who reported at least 155 citizens of the PRC, who are fighting in Russian troops, recruited through social networks.
China positions itself as a neutral side in the Russian Federation against Ukraine and states that it does not provide military assistance to either of the parties, unlike the US and other Western countries.
But Beijing remains close to Russia’s political and economic ally, and NATO members call China a “decisive manual” of war that he has never condemned.
Recently, “Schemes” (Radio Liberty) in their investigation told how China became the only supplier in the Russian Federation of a number of rare metals for the production of weapons after the introduction of Western sanctions.