Overview
- European intelligence told Reuters that China trained about 200 Russian soldiers in Beijing and Nanjing under a July 2, 2025 military pact.
- The training focused on drone warfare and defenses, with FPV drones, flight simulators, signal‑jamming rifles, and net‑launching systems described in internal Russian notes.
- Officials said some of the trained soldiers later fought in occupied Crimea and the Zaporizhzhia region in southern Ukraine.
- China’s Foreign Ministry denied providing direct support to Russia and said it keeps an objective stance, while Russia has not publicly confirmed the report.
- The disclosures raise Western concern before a planned Putin–Xi meeting and align with RUSI findings on broader two‑way troop training that could give PLA units rare exposure to NATO‑standard weapons.