Late last year, China secretly trained about 200 Russian soldiers, some of whom later returned to fight in the war against Ukraine.
Reuters reported this, citing three European intelligence agencies and documents it reviewed.
According to the report, the training was conducted at military facilities in Beijing, Nanjing, and other locations across China under a bilateral Russia-China agreement signed in July 2025.
The training program covered drone operations, electronic warfare, counter-drone tactics, army aviation, mechanized infantry training, and military engineering.
Some courses specifically included FPV drone operations, flight simulator training, directing mortar fire using drones, and combating aerial targets with electronic warfare systems.
Reuters reported that some of the Russian troops trained in China were senior instructors who could later pass their new knowledge and skills on to other Russian units.
One European intelligence agency identified several Russian servicemen who, after completing training in China, participated in drone warfare operations in occupied Crimea and the Zaporizhzhia region.
According to the agency, the soldiers ranged in rank from junior sergeant to lieutenant colonel.
The agreement between Moscow and Beijing also included training visits by Chinese military personnel to Russia. However, sources said that hosting and training Russian troops on Chinese soil marked a new level of military cooperation between the two countries.
China officially maintains that it is neutral in the war in Ukraine and says it supports a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
However, the Reuters findings suggest that Beijing may be far more deeply involved in supporting Russia’s military efforts than previously known.
As drones play an increasingly important role in the war against Ukraine, this cooperation may represent not only political backing for Moscow, but also direct practical support in preparing Russian forces for modern, technology-driven warfare.
Militarnyi previously reported that 90% of the components used in Russian drones come from China.
