Report: China Secretly Trained Russian Troops Later Deployed in Ukraine

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uropean intelligence agencies believe China secretly trained around 200 Russian military personnel last year, with some of those soldiers later returning to fight in Ukraine, according to intelligence sources and documents reviewed by Reuters.

The covert training program, reportedly focused heavily on drone warfare and counter-drone tactics, represents one of the clearest indications yet of direct Chinese military support connected to Russia’s war effort, despite Beijing’s repeated claims that it remains neutral in the conflict.

According to Reuters, the training was outlined in a Russian-Chinese military agreement signed in Beijing on July 2, 2025. The document reportedly detailed plans for Russian troops to receive instruction at Chinese military facilities in cities including Beijing and Nanjing, while Chinese personnel would also participate in training programs inside Russia.

European intelligence officials told Reuters that some Russian soldiers trained in China later took part in combat operations involving drones in occupied Crimea and the Zaporizhzhia region.

Drone warfare at center of training

The reported courses concentrated on modern battlefield technologies that have become central to the war in Ukraine.

Reuters said the training included instruction in:

• Drone operations and first-person-view (FPV) drones
• Electronic warfare
• Counter-drone systems
• Combined arms warfare
• Explosives handling and demining
• Armored infantry tactics
• Army aviation

One internal Russian military report reviewed by Reuters described a December 2025 training course involving around 50 Russian personnel at a branch of the People’s Liberation Army Infantry Academy in Shijiazhuang.

According to the document, Russian soldiers trained with 82mm mortars while using drones to identify targets — a tactic widely employed on the Ukrainian battlefield.

Another course reportedly focused on counter-drone measures, including electronic warfare rifles and net-launching systems designed to disable incoming drones.

Reuters also described a training session at a PLA aviation center in Yibin where Russian troops used drone flight simulators and practiced operating several FPV drone systems.

China denies direct involvement in war

China’s foreign ministry rejected suggestions that Beijing was directly involved in the conflict.

In a statement to Reuters, Chinese officials said Beijing had consistently maintained an “objective and impartial stance” and supported peace negotiations.

The report nevertheless raises new questions about the depth of military cooperation between China and Russia, whose leaders have repeatedly emphasized their “no limits” strategic partnership since shortly before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The intelligence findings emerge just as Chinese President Xi Jinping hosts Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing for high-level talks focused on energy, security and global geopolitics.

Western governments have long accused China of indirectly supporting Russia through purchases of Russian energy exports and the supply of dual-use technologies. But training Russian troops at operational and tactical levels would mark a more direct form of assistance.

Russia increasingly dependent on Chinese support

The report highlights the growing military and economic ties between Beijing and Moscow.

China has become a critical economic partner for Russia since Western sanctions were imposed after the invasion of Ukraine. Chinese purchases of Russian oil, gas and coal have helped stabilize Moscow’s economy, while Chinese technology and manufacturing networks have helped offset some Western export restrictions.

European intelligence officials told Reuters that Russia benefits particularly from China’s advanced drone industry and training infrastructure.

Although Russia has extensive combat experience from Ukraine, China’s rapidly expanding drone sector offers technological expertise, simulation systems and industrial capacity that Russian forces increasingly value.

One intelligence agency said many of the Russian personnel trained in China were instructors themselves, meaning the knowledge gained there could spread through Russia’s military structure after their return.