Zelenskyy claims 155 Chinese soldiers fighting for Russia against Ukraine

He made the comment after two Chinese nationals were captured fighting for Russia earlier this week.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Zelenskyy reiterated his claim that there are "many more" Chinese nationals engaged in the conflict, based on information gathered by his government, reported BBC.

Zelenskyy wrote on his X page: "As of now, we have precise data on over 150 Chinese citizens who were involved in the war against Ukraine by Russia. We know that the actual number is higher. Ukraine believes that such blatant involvement of Chinese citizens in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine during the war of aggression is a deliberate step towards the expansion of the war, and is yet another indication that Moscow simply needs to drag out the fighting."

China Rejects Claim

The Chinese government, meanwhile, rejected his claim and said it is not based on facts.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters: "Such claim has no basis in facts. China’s position on the issue of the Ukraine crisis is very clear and is widely recognized by the international community."

"The Ukrainian side needs to view correctly China’s effort and constructive role for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. As to your question on whether the two sides have communicated with each other, I have no information to offer on that," he said.

Earlier, Ukraine had claimed to have captured two injured North Korean soldiers who were fighting the battle for Russia.

March Proves Deadly Month For Civilians In Ukraine

With at least 164 Ukrainians killed and 910 injured, March 2025 saw a 50 per cent spike in civilian casualties from the previous month. These numbers represent a 71 per cent increase in civilian casualties compared with March last year, says the latest HRMMU Protection of Civilians Report.

Russian attacks on cities such as Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Sumy, combined with multiple munitions strikes on Dobropillia, exacerbated the high number of casualties in March. 

Kryvyi Rih, located around 65 kilometers from the frontline, was one of the places most heavily affected, suffering five waves of Russian attacks which killed at least six civilians and injured 66. 

Civilian buildings in the city – home town of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – including two hotels and a restaurant, were amongst the sites hit. 

Some 29 medical and 50 educational facilities were damaged by Russian armed forces during last month, while two medical centres and six educational facilities were totally destroyed.