China’s alleged covert training of Russian military personnel during the war in Ukraine was personally approved by Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and involved several senior military commanders from both countries, according to two European officials and documents reviewed by Reuters.
The officials said the participation of at least four Russian and Chinese generals underscored the strategic importance both governments attach to the military cooperation, despite Beijing’s repeated insistence that it remains neutral in the Ukraine conflict.
One classified Russian military document reviewed by Reuters referred to an internal decree issued by Belousov in August 2025 authorizing a delegation from Russia’s armed forces to travel to China for training exercises at facilities operated by the People’s Liberation Army.
The documents described multiple training activities, including a three-week course in Beijing in November focusing on radiological, chemical and biological defense.
Photographs included in the reports showed Russian soldiers receiving instruction from Chinese military personnel, examining a model nuclear reactor and participating in lessons covering chemical reconnaissance, radiation reconnaissance and methods for protecting ventilation systems from contamination.
One European official said the inclusion of radiological, biological and chemical defense highlighted the strategic sensitivity of the cooperation, noting that such capabilities remain a priority for modern armed forces.
Russia’s Defense Ministry and China’s Defense Ministry did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
China’s Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations, saying Beijing’s position on the Ukraine conflict had remained consistent.
“The relevant allegations are entirely unfounded,” the ministry said in a statement.
China has repeatedly described itself as a neutral party in the conflict while presenting itself as a potential peace mediator.
Reuters previously reported that around 200 Russian military personnel received training in China during November 2025, citing European intelligence agencies and military documents. Some of those personnel were later deployed to the war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin declined to comment directly on that report, accusing Western media of publishing false information.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in June that the bloc had independently confirmed the training had taken place and was evaluating its implications. Beijing dismissed those remarks as “nothing but smears.”
The revelations have intensified concerns within Europe as relations between Moscow and Beijing continue to deepen following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
European officials said discussions are continuing over whether additional measures should be taken against China, beyond sanctions already imposed on Chinese companies accused of supporting Russia’s military effort.
A third European official told Reuters the European Union should increasingly assess China through the lens of security rather than primarily as an economic partner, echoing Kallas’ description of Beijing as a “decisive enabler of Russia’s war.”
According to the officials, a July 2 agreement underpinning the training program was signed by Russian Maj. Gen. Rustam Khusainov and Chinese Senior Col. Sun Dayun.
Russian lawmaker Andrei Kartapolov, who chairs the State Duma’s defense committee, dismissed the Reuters report as “complete nonsense,” arguing Russia’s military had nothing to learn from China because of its extensive battlefield experience in Ukraine.
Internal Russian military reports nevertheless evaluated both strengths and shortcomings of the Chinese training, praising the quality of equipment, simulators and instructors while noting China’s lack of recent combat experience.
Additional documents identified senior participants in the exchanges, including Col. Gen. Rustam Muradov, deputy commander-in-chief of Russia’s land forces, and Maj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov. Chinese Maj. Gen. Li Jinsun, head of the People’s Liberation Army Military Academy of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence, also participated in one course, according to the documents reviewed by Reuters.
