Russia forces aren’t as strong as they claim, say captured Chinese fighters

Two Chinese citizens captured warring against Ukraine said they were “fed lies” by Russia and that Vladimir Putin’s forces were not arsenic beardown arsenic they claimed.

Wang Guanjung and Zhang Renbo were captured warring for Russia successful eastbound Ukraine earlier this month.

Handcuffed and wearing subject fatigues astatine a briefing organised by Ukrinform, the Ukrainian nationalist quality agency, the brace said: “All Russia fed america are lies. They’re fake. Russia isn’t arsenic beardown arsenic they claim, and Ukraine isn’t arsenic backwards arsenic they say.”

President Zelensky initially demanded that Beijing explicate wherefore Chinese soldiers, arsenic helium referred to them, were warring for Russia.

The brace stressed, however, that they were not warring connected behalf of China and had nary links to Chinese authorities authorities. Instead, they were recruited arsenic mercenaries done online advertisements, they said.

Mr Wang said helium was recruited done a TikTok advert. He told reporters helium past travelled via coaches and minibuses to Kazan successful south-west Russia, earlier moving done Rostov-on-Don earlier entering eastbound Ukraine’s Donetsk region, wherever helium enlisted successful the service with Mr Zhang.

Mr Zhang told reporters helium was successful Russia arsenic a tourer erstwhile helium spotted an advert with the connection of 2 cardinal roubles (£18,400) and decided to enlist.

The brace were some captured successful Donetsk, with footage of their detention released connected April 8.

Credit: X/@ZelenskyyUa

Both prisoners said they were taken captive instantly aft arriving connected the beforehand enactment and had not killed immoderate Ukrainian troops.

Mr Zelensky said past week that determination were astatine slightest 155 Chinese nationals warring for Russia successful the war, a assertion Beijing has dismissed arsenic “irresponsible”.

China denies important numbers of its citizens are serving successful the Russian equipped forces, saying it advises nationals to “avoid participating successful subject operations of immoderate party” and is simply a “staunch supporter” of bid successful Ukraine.

Credit: @TGTM_Official

The lone illustration truthful acold of a overseas state deploying soldiers to assistance Russia successful its warfare effort is North Korea. However, those troops person not been allowed to combat wrong Ukrainian territory.

Asked astir conditions wrong the Russian camps, the Chinese prisoners described a deficiency of h2o and electricity.

Mr Wang recalled an lawsuit erstwhile they worked until the aboriginal hours of the morning, lone to beryllium fixed “a pinch of earthy rice”.

His relationship is accordant with reported accounts from North Korean soldiers, who person complained of a deficiency of nutrient successful the Russian army.

Both told reporters that they were expecting to look punishment connected their instrumentality to China, but said this had not dissuaded them from wanting to spell home.

“I recognize that punishment is imaginable and I americium prepared for it, due to the fact that it’s wide that for participating successful warfare and specified actions, determination tin beryllium consequences. Still, I privation to instrumentality location to my family,” Mr Wang said.

“For those Chinese compatriots who privation to articulation the warfare against Ukraine, I conscionable privation to say...don’t articulation this war,” helium added.

The Ukrainian information work said some men had undergone archetypal interrogations and were being held arsenic prisoners of warfare successful Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump took a caller swipe astatine Mr Zelensky during a gathering with reporters successful the Oval Office.

On Monday, the US president claimed that his Ukrainian counterpart had “allowed” the warfare with Russia to begin, earlier questioning his competence and insisting Putin would ne'er person invaded nether his leadership.

“The mistake was letting the warfare happen. If Biden were competent, and if Zelensky were competent, and I don’t cognize that helium is …he conscionable kept asking for much and more, that warfare should person ne'er been allowed to happen,” helium said.

“You instrumentality a look astatine Putin. I’m not saying anybody’s an angel. But I volition archer you I went 4 years and it wasn’t adjacent a question [he would invade Ukraine], helium would never.”

Questioned connected whether helium would judge an connection made by Mr Zelensky to bargain 10 US-made Patriot aerial defence rocket systems for $15 cardinal (£11.34 billion), helium answered: “When you commencement a war, you’ve got to cognize that you tin triumph the war, right?”

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