Information
The Kremlin on Thursday denied a Reuters report claiming that China’s military secretly trained around 200 Russian soldiers in China late last year before some were deployed to fight in Ukraine. According to documents reviewed by Reuters, a July 2025 agreement outlined plans for Russian troops to receive training at Chinese military facilities in places including Beijing and Nanjing, while Chinese soldiers would also train in Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the report as false, saying Western media outlets frequently publish inaccurate information that should be treated cautiously. Meanwhile, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin discussed efforts toward peace in Ukraine during talks in China this week, as Beijing continues to publicly describe itself as neutral in the conflict and position itself as a potential mediator.
Source: Reuters
So What
The report is notable, though its accuracy remains uncertain, as the Chinese personnel involved may have simply been observing or participating in joint exercises rather than directly training Russian troops. However, if training did occur, it is plausible that it focused on familiarizing Russian soldiers with Chinese military equipment and systems. Even so, the development would not represent a major strategic shift, given the widely rumored role China has already played in supplying components and dual-use goods that support Russia’s defense industry throughout the war. In that context, the reported training could signal a more commercially driven step toward expanded Chinese arms sales to Russia. At the same time, it is unclear what operational expertise China would currently offer Russia in the context of the Ukraine war, particularly since Russia arguably has more direct combat experience in areas such as offensive and defensive drone warfare.
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