Russia Approved Secret China Military Training at Top Level, Sources Say

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ussia’s defense minister personally approved a covert military training program in China for Russian forces linked to the war in Ukraine, with at least four senior generals from both countries directly involved, according to European officials and classified documents reviewed by Reuters.

The program, conducted in 2025, included instruction in radiological, chemical and biological (RCB) warfare, underscoring the increasingly strategic nature of defense cooperation between Moscow and Beijing despite China’s repeated insistence that it remains neutral in the Ukraine conflict.

The revelations have heightened concern among European governments, which are already reassessing China’s role in supporting Russia’s military capabilities while balancing extensive economic ties with Beijing.

According to the documents, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov authorized the initiative through an internal decree issued in August 2025, allowing Russian military delegations to travel to China for specialized training at facilities operated by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

One classified report described a three-week course held at a military academy in Beijing in November 2025, where Russian personnel received instruction on radiological, chemical and biological protection. Images attached to the report showed Russian officers attending lectures by Chinese instructors, examining a model nuclear reactor and participating in exercises on chemical and radiation reconnaissance as well as protection of ventilation systems from contamination.

European officials told Reuters that the participation of senior military commanders from both countries demonstrated that the program enjoyed backing at the highest levels of government and reflected the strategic importance Moscow and Beijing attach to expanding military cooperation.

The defense ministries of both Russia and China did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

China’s Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations, describing them as “entirely unfounded” and reiterating that Beijing’s position on the Ukraine conflict has remained consistent. Chinese officials continue to present the country as a neutral actor seeking to promote peace negotiations.

The latest disclosures follow an earlier Reuters investigation published in June, which cited European intelligence agencies and military documents indicating that approximately 200 Russian soldiers underwent military training in China during November 2025 before returning to participate in the war in Ukraine.

At the time, the Kremlin declined to comment directly on the report but dismissed Western media coverage as “false information.”

European concerns grow over strategic partnership

The newly revealed documents identify senior military officials who oversaw the program. According to European officials, a July 2 agreement establishing the training was signed by Russian Major General Rustam Khusainov and Chinese Senior Colonel Sun Dayun.

Russian Colonel General Rustam Muradov, deputy commander-in-chief of Russia’s land forces, led the Russian delegation, according to participant lists reviewed by Reuters. Chinese Major General Li Jinsun, head of the PLA’s Military Academy of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense, participated in the opening of one of the courses, while Russian Major General Vitaly Gerasimov also attended training sessions in Bengbu.

The documents included detailed participant information, listing military ranks, birth dates, institutional affiliations and security clearance levels.

European officials said the emphasis on radiological, biological and chemical warfare highlighted the strategic significance of the exchanges, noting that such training is considered highly sensitive by armed forces worldwide.

The disclosures come as European policymakers debate how to respond to expanding defense ties between Russia and China.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European governments have regarded Moscow as the continent’s primary security threat. At the same time, China remains one of the European Union’s largest trading partners, complicating efforts to formulate a unified policy.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said earlier this month that the European Union had independently confirmed the training had taken place and was evaluating its implications.

Beijing dismissed her remarks as “nothing but smears.”

A Brussels-based European official told Reuters that the bloc should increasingly assess China through a security rather than purely economic lens, arguing that Beijing has become what Kallas previously described as a “decisive enabler of Russia’s war.”

The European Union has already imposed sanctions on several Chinese companies accused of supporting Russia’s defense industry.

Despite the growing military relationship, Russian officials have publicly downplayed any need to learn from China’s armed forces.

Russian lawmaker Andrei Kartapolov, who heads the defense committee in Russia’s parliament, dismissed Reuters’ reporting as “complete nonsense” and argued that Russia’s military had nothing to learn from China.

However, internal Russian military evaluations reviewed by Reuters offered a more nuanced assessment.

The quality of Chinese military equipment

The reports praised the quality of Chinese military equipment, the extensive use of training simulators and the high theoretical expertise of Chinese instructors. At the same time, they noted a significant limitation: China’s lack of recent combat experience.

While Russia has accumulated extensive battlefield experience during more than four years of fighting in Ukraine, China’s military has not engaged in a major war for decades.

The latest revelations are likely to intensify Western scrutiny of China’s role in Russia’s military campaign. Although Beijing continues to deny providing direct military assistance, European governments increasingly view cooperation such as specialized military training as evidence of deepening strategic alignment between the two powers.

The findings also reinforce broader concerns that the partnership between Moscow and Beijing extends beyond diplomatic coordination and economic cooperation into increasingly sophisticated military collaboration, even as China maintains its public position of neutrality regarding the conflict in Ukraine.

(Source: Reuters)