A Chinese man who said he was tricked into fighting for Russia’s military told reporters on Monday that he was guarded so closely he couldn’t go to the bathroom alone.
Identified by Ukraine as 34-year-old Wang Guangjun, the man said at a Kyiv press conference that he had entered Russia believing he would be a rehabilitation therapist for Moscow’s troops, only to discover he was being deployed on the front lines.
Ukraine said on Wednesday that Wang and another Chinese man, 27-year-old Zhang Renbao, were captured in Donetsk. Business Insider could not independently verify statements from the prisoners of war.
Both men said they were speaking to the press in hopes that China would notice their situation and negotiate for their release. They also denied fighting against Ukraine voluntarily.
Wang described himself as being trapped after reporting for work in Moscow in early 2025, after which he was sent for a few days of training and later to Ukraine’s front lines.
“Escape is impossible. Because from the moment you enter the training camp, if you go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, there will be a guard with a loaded gun following you,” said Wang.
“And during training, your commander will keep a close eye on you. You have totally no opportunity to escape. Anyway, Russia is filled with military police, even if you try to run, there is nowhere to go,” he added.
Zhang — who said he was previously a rescue worker and firefighter in Shanghai — and Wang told Ukrainian and international reporters that they were promised monthly salaries of up to 280,000 rubles, or about $3,400.
But they said they were often left in the dark and couldn’t communicate well with their Russian-speaking officers. Wang added that he surrendered his mobile phone and was unsure if he was paid at all.
“I can very honestly tell everyone that I absolutely don’t know the specifics,” Wang said. “Because everything that involved us was kept secret.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by BI.
Wang and Zhang describe their capture
GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images
Wang said he was deployed on April 1 in Donetsk with a unit that went by the “7th” — which could be a reference to Russia’s 7th Motorized Rifle Brigade. The Chinese man said he could only communicate with his commanders via sounds and hand gestures.
He told reporters that on April 4, he and several soldiers were sent to advance on the front lines in northern Donetsk. Wang said that as they neared their destination, a Russian soldier called his name and mimicked the sound of a gun firing, urging him to begin attacking.
“On the way there, we had gone through many Russian bunkers, so I thought we had arrived at our own friendly position. I thought he was joking,” he said. “So I hid to one side.”
Wang then said that the “sky was filled with countless drones” that killed several of his comrades. The survivors soon surrendered to Ukrainian forces, he added.
Meanwhile, Zhang said he arrived in Moscow as a tourist in December and, after seeking work there, was eventually shipped to Donetsk for a month.
He said he and a small Russian squad were sent in late March to advance on foot at the front lines, then spent hours hiding and trying to survive repeated drone attacks.
“I just ran and ran and ran, until I eventually encountered Ukrainian soldiers,” Zhang said.
Ukraine says it has evidence that over 150 Chinese people are fighting for Russia, but added that there’s no sign their presence is sanctioned by Beijing. On Friday, Reuters cited unnamed US officials saying that Washington believes most Chinese citizens fighting for Russia are mercenaries.
China, meanwhile, said it has always told its citizens to stay away from the war.
“We call on the relevant party to be correct and sober about China’s role and refrain from making irresponsible remarks,” a spokesperson for Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Thursday.
