A Chinese man who said he fought for Russia said he couldn't even go to the bathroom without an armed escort

• Two Chinese prisoners of warfare spoke to the property connected Monday, describing beingness nether Russian forces.

• Both Chinese men said they were duped into becoming frontline soldiers for Russia.

• One of them said it was intolerable to flight due to the fact that helium was perpetually being watched.

A Chinese antheral who said helium was tricked into warring for Russia's subject told reporters connected Monday that helium was guarded truthful intimately helium couldn't spell to the bath alone.

Identified by Ukraine arsenic 34-year-old Wang Guangjun, the antheral said astatine a Kyiv property league that helium had entered Russia believing helium would beryllium a rehabilitation therapist for Moscow's troops, lone to observe helium was being deployed connected the beforehand lines.

Ukraine said connected Wednesday that Wang and different Chinese man, 27-year-old Zhang Renbao, were captured successful Donetsk. Business Insider could not independently verify statements from the prisoners of war.

Both men said they were speaking to the property successful hopes that China would announcement their concern and negociate for their release. They besides denied warring against Ukraine voluntarily.

Wang described himself arsenic being trapped aft reporting for enactment successful Moscow successful aboriginal 2025, aft which helium was sent for a fewer days of grooming and aboriginal to Ukraine's beforehand lines.

"Escape is impossible. Because from the infinitesimal you participate the grooming camp, if you spell to the bath successful the mediate of the night, determination volition beryllium a defender with a loaded weapon pursuing you," said Wang.

"And during training, your commandant volition support a adjacent oculus connected you. You person wholly nary accidental to escape. Anyway, Russia is filled with subject police, adjacent if you effort to run, determination is obscurity to go," helium added.

Zhang — who said helium was antecedently a rescue idiosyncratic and firefighter successful Shanghai — and Wang told Ukrainian and planetary reporters that they were promised monthly salaries of up to 280,000 rubles, oregon astir $3,400.

But they said they were often near successful the acheronian and couldn't pass good with their Russian-speaking officers. Wang added that helium surrendered his mobile telephone and was unsure if helium was paid astatine all.

"I tin precise honestly archer everyone that I perfectly don't cognize the specifics," Wang said. "Because everything that progressive america was kept secret."

Russia's Defense Ministry did not respond to a petition for remark sent extracurricular regular concern hours by BI.

Wang and Zhang picture their capture

Wang said helium was deployed connected April 1 successful Donetsk with a portion that went by the "7th" — which could beryllium a notation to Russia's 7th Motorized Rifle Brigade. The Chinese antheral said helium could lone pass with his commanders via sounds and manus gestures.

He told reporters that connected April 4, helium and respective soldiers were sent to beforehand connected the beforehand lines successful bluish Donetsk. Wang said that arsenic they neared their destination, a Russian worker called his sanction and mimicked the dependable of a weapon firing, urging him to statesman attacking.

"On the mode there, we had gone done galore Russian bunkers, truthful I thought we had arrived astatine our ain affable position. I thought helium was joking," helium said. "So I hid to 1 side."

Wang past said that the "sky was filled with countless drones" that killed respective of his comrades. The survivors soon surrendered to Ukrainian forces, helium added.

Meanwhile, Zhang said helium arrived successful Moscow arsenic a tourer successful December and, aft seeking enactment there, was yet shipped to Donetsk for a month.

He said helium and a tiny Russian squad were sent successful precocious March to beforehand connected ft astatine the beforehand lines, past spent hours hiding and trying to past repeated drone attacks.

"I conscionable ran and ran and ran, until I yet encountered Ukrainian soldiers," Zhang said.

Ukraine says it has grounds that implicit 150 Chinese radical are warring for Russia, but added that there's nary motion their beingness is sanctioned by Beijing. On Friday, Reuters cited unnamed US officials saying that Washington believes astir Chinese citizens warring for Russia are mercenaries.

China, meanwhile, said it has ever told its citizens to enactment distant from the war.

"We telephone connected the applicable enactment to beryllium close and sober astir China's relation and refrain from making irresponsible remarks," a spokesperson for Beijing's overseas ministry said connected Thursday.

Read the archetypal nonfiction connected Business Insider