China may send troops to Ukraine's occupied territories for military experience, National Resistance Center says
China is likely in talks with Russia about joining the war against Ukraine on Russia’s side, mirroring North Korea’s approach, according to the Special Operations Forces’ National Resistance Center.
The center reports that China aims to gain battlefield experience on Ukraine’s Russian-occupied territories, taking cues from North Korea’s involvement. It also noted that Chinese representatives have repeatedly been spotted in these occupied areas.
Recently, a video spread on social media showing alleged Chinese mercenaries with the Russian army on the Pokrovsk front in Donetsk Oblast, drawing hieroglyphs on building walls.
In October 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he received intelligence about Russia training two 6,000-strong North Korean units. By January, he reported 4,000 North Korean troops had been neutralized in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
Ukrainian soldiers say North Korean troops refuse to surrender, often retrieving their wounded or killing themselves when capture looms. They also kill Ukrainian troops trying to surrender rather than take prisoners.
Russia tries to hide North Korean involvement, with Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces noting they’re listed as Tuvans in documents. Zelenskyy said some bodies had burned faces to prevent identification.