Attention: Chinese who want to fight for Russia stay away

Attention: Chinese who want to fight for Russia stay away

A Chinese man who fights for the Russian army claims that his superiors had blocked him in a dark, secured pit for 21 days, in which he had hardly enough space to stand. His offense, he said, was a dispute with his commander about life -saving protective equipment.

from the dream to the nightmare

Michael, not his real name, said that he had joined Russia's fight against Ukraine to get "a feeling for military life abroad". After a brutal year on the front, however, he is now convinced that it was a "mistake" to report to the army of Vladimir Putin.

his experience in the pit, where he, the 29-year-old, could hardly raise his head, killed his wish to fight for Moscow. He would like to send a message home to other Chinese citizens who think about joining Russia's struggle. "I have to pronounce some truths and warn the irrational Chinese - does not come here," he said.

grievances in the Russian army

In conversation with CNN Michael said that he was currently recovering from injuries he had suffered on the battlefield. "The second largest military power in the world is a complete joke," says Michael, who listed inferior equipment, inadequate logistics, ill -treatment and "severe corruption" as problems within the army. These complaints have been

Chinese mercenaries on the front

Both Ukraine and Russia have mobilized foreign fighters to strengthen their armed forces. But the topic of Chinese mercenaries who fight for Russia was moved into the international spotlight when the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj announced that Two Chinese fighters were captured by Ukraine and claimed that there were "many more" in the ranks of Russia.

Selenskyj demanded answers from Beijing, which in turn contested every participation and repeated previous calls that Chinese citizens should "foresee the participation in military promotions of each party". The deputy foreign minister of Russia described the claims that Chinese citizens fight in Ukraine as a "complete falsehood", according to the Russian news agency TASS. Days later presented Ukraine the captured Chinese fighter

The motivations of the fighters

The Ukraine stated that information was given, according to which 155 more chinese Fighting citizens for Russia, although the true number is probably higher according to Selenskyj. Both Michael and another fighter who worked for Russia reported CNN that they know from hundreds of others.

Some Chinese also fought on the Ukrainian side. CNN has confirmed their presence in a battalion, but the Ukraine rural forces were unable to indicate a total number, since each unit recruits.

female recruitment and propaganda

Chinese men were addressed by advertising ads on social media in order to join Russia in the fight against Ukraine. The contributions and accompanying videos that CNN have seen typically promise good fee and the increase in the masculinity of those who register.

These videos are all in Russian, but contain Chinese translations. One of the translations was: "Are you not a man? Be a real man!" It is unclear who made the translations.

The reality of the war

Michael began to see Douyin - the Chinese version of Tikkok - recruitment ads and wanted to bring his “military life” to the next level after entering the Russian army in 2023. Once raised, he regularly posted videos of his life in the ranks of Moscow.

All fighters who contacted CNN described similar experiences: the reality of the war was far worse than expected. "It is incredibly brutal, much more than someone can imagine," said Michael.