A Chinese soldier captured while fighting alongside Russian forces said he wants to return to China rather than go to Russia, according to a new interrogation video published on April 10 by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine on April 8 announced the capture of two Chinese fighters operating with Russian units near the villages of Tarasivka and Bilohorivka in Donetsk Oblast. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) carried out its first interrogation of the prisoners on April 9.
In the latest video of the questioning, the Chinese national told the SBU that his unit was commanded by a Russian officer and described the conditions under which he was captured.
"When we hid in a wooden shelter, a drone attacked us and damaged my weapon," the prisoner said. He identified his weapon as a Kalashnikov AK-74 and said he was accompanied by a Russian soldier during the attack.
The captured fighter also said that he was treated better in Ukrainian custody than during his time with Russian forces.
"Here in Ukraine they feed me better than in Russia, and treat me better. It is safer here," he answered.
When asked about a possible prisoner exchange, the man said he did not want to return to Russia.
"I would prefer to go to China," he said, adding that he had once contacted his parents but did not tell them where he was, to avoid causing them worry. The soldier also said he rarely had access to the internet.
The involvement of Chinese nationals in Russia’s war against Ukraine appears to be part of a "systemic" recruitment effort, Zelensky said on April 10.
The SBU is continuing its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Chinese nationals' presence in Russian military units. According to a Ukrainian intelligence document obtained by the Kyiv Independent on April 9, at least 163 Chinese nationals are serving in Russia's armed forces.
Chris York
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