It is possible that Chinese soldiers sent to Ukraine to fight on the side of Russia are collecting intelligence information about the Russian army.
This was stated to UNIAN by Ukrainian military officer Igor Lutsenko, a former deputy of the Rada.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday that according to information from Ukrainian intelligence, at least 155 Chinese citizens are fighting on the side of the Russian army against Ukraine. A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China is checking information about its servicemen fighting on the side of Russia - together with Ukraine.
„In China, the secret services and the state play an extremely large role - similar to the security structures in Russia. If I were in the place of an intelligence officer agency, I would use this war as an ideal opportunity to gain experience, to obtain information“, said Igor Lutsenko.
The Ukrainian military said that China may be collecting information specifically about the Russian army because “he doubts that Ukraine will have a direct conflict with China“, while the other scenario is more likely.
“I don't think the Chinese will participate openly on the Russian side. Their geopolitical alliance is very fragmented. And the potential for hostility is just as great. The Chinese understand that they need to somehow drive the Russians out of the lands that the Chinese consider theirs. "But they use soft power, not brute force, as Putin used against us," said Igor Lutsenko.
China urged its citizens yesterday to avoid participating in wars after Kiev announced the capture of two Chinese who had fought for the Russian army in eastern Ukraine, Agence France-Presse reported. This is the first case of the capture of Chinese citizens involved in the fighting in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion.