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One of two Chinese soldiers who were captured fighting for Russia in Ukraine said propaganda videos on China’s version of TikTok inspired him to join the Russian military.
Chinese soldiers Wang Guangjun, 34, and Zhang Renbo, 26, spoke to media representatives Monday during a lengthy press conference in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.
Both men described being misled by Russian officials about the nature of their jobs and eventually found themselves on the front lines of Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Mr. Wang told reporters that China’s pandemic difficulties left him unemployed and desperate for work. During that time, he was inspired by Russian propaganda videos on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, also owned by ByteDance.
By taking up the fight in Russia, Mr. Wang said, he hoped to increase his social standing and find work.
“Because in China, the status and social identity of a Chinese soldier is very high, especially in the hearts of the public. So in China, every male has this dream of success,” Mr. Wang said. “When you are in China and have no chance of being a soldier, and you see this kind of opportunity, you feel a stirring of the heart. And I came from that kind of motivation.”
Mr. Wang was particularly attracted to videos promoting rehabilitation therapy positions in Russia. He said he had worked as a rehabilitation therapist in China before losing his job.
“It said that due to Russia’s last two years of fighting, there were a lot of injured people who needed us to administer rehabilitation therapy,” he said.
Despite warnings from Chinese officials, Mr. Wang accepted a therapy job and traveled in early 2025 to Moscow, where he was told his work would not involve active combat. However, after intake, he was transferred to a training facility in Moscow before being sent to the Donetsk region in April.
Mr. Wang and Mr. Zheng were captured this month in Donetsk, Ukrainian authorities said last week. Both are being held as prisoners of war.
Mr. Zheng was a firefighter in Shanghai, spending his vacation in Russia, when he enlisted. Hoping to earn a little money on vacation, he signed up for what he thought was a construction job. Mr. Zheng said he received less than a week of training in the Russian city of Rostov before being sent to the front lines. He said he had spent about a month in the trenches of Donetsk before his capture.
“The Chinese media and state media always emphasized our friendship with Russia, so we always have trusted them. Because of this trust, perhaps we have been taken advantage of,” Mr. Zhang said.
Both captured fighters called on the Chinese government to work to retrieve them from Ukraine’s custody while also discouraging other Chinese citizens from following them into Russian service.
“If you are considering joining this war against Ukraine,” Mr. Wang said. “to my fellow Chinese, do not participate in this fight.”
Mr. Wang and Mr. Zheng’s capture comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserts that Russia is increasingly integrating foreign fighters into its military.
Mr. Zelenskyy has said Ukrainian intelligence suggests that more than 150 Chinese soldiers are in the region, in addition to North Korean fighters known to be supporting Russia.
