Kathmandu, April 10: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that at least 155 Chinese citizens are fighting alongside Russian forces in the ongoing war against Ukraine. Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday, Zelenskyy cited findings from Ukrainian intelligence, adding that the actual number of Chinese nationals involved could be even higher.

Zelenskyy stated that Russia is allegedly recruiting Chinese individuals through social media platforms, and suggested that Chinese officials are aware of these efforts. He also raised questions about whether the recruitment of Chinese fighters was being directed by Beijing, noting that investigations are ongoing.

“This is a serious matter. We have names and passport details of 155 individuals who are actively fighting on Ukrainian soil,” said Zelenskyy. “We are still trying to determine the full extent of this involvement.”

According to Zelenskyy, two Chinese nationals have already been captured by Ukrainian forces, marking the first public claim of Chinese fighters participating in the conflict on Russian behalf.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian dismissed the claims during a press briefing on Wednesday. “The allegations that Chinese citizens are fighting against Ukraine are completely baseless,” Lin said. He emphasized that the Chinese government advises its citizens to avoid conflict zones and not to engage in any form of armed conflict.

The Russian government has not yet commented on the allegations.