Chinese Volunteers on Russian Battlefield Cry for Help

‘I contacted the head of the Chinese Embassy in Russia. He said it was a personal act and denied [my plea].’

Members of the Siberian battalion within the Ukrainian Armed Forces take part in a military training exercise on a shooting range in Kyiv region on April 10, 2024. Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images

Videos of Chinese volunteers in the Russian army on the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war are circulating online. The volunteers beg for help while they lament their treatment by the Russian army and Chinese authorities.

In one video, a Guangdong-based Chinese volunteer named “Xiaoqiang” recounted the experiences of himself and his teammates on the front line.