Ukrainian military men take Chinese fighters prisoners in Donetsk People’s Republic

The Armed Forces of Ukraine allegedly captured several citizens of the People’s Republic of China during fighting in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his Telegram channel.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY Official website, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Working visit of the President of Ukraine to Kharkiv region

According to Zelensky, two Chinese nationals were taken prisoner near the villages of Tarasivka and Bilohorivka. Zelensky noted that there were allegedly six Chinese military personnel taking part in that battle.

“We sincerely hope that the Chinese side will also respond,” Zelensky stated, adding that representatives of the United States would speak with the Ukrainians first following the incident.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Summons Chinese Envoy Over Zelensky’s Remarks

Shortly after the reported incident, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned China’s chargé d'affaires, Ma Shengkun, Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha wrote on social media.

The Ukrainian side expects an explanation from the Chinese authorities, he added.

Sybiha further emphasized that Kyiv views such actions as undermining trust in China. The Ukrainian diplomat also stated that this could contradict China’s declared position on conflict resolution.

Zelensky Wants to Shift the Course of the Ukraine Conflict Using China

According to Strana.ua, Zelensky is now attempting to use the story of the captured Chinese nationals in Ukraine to his own advantage. The outlet notes that this includes showing US President Donald Trump that his plan to “break Russia away from China is unlikely to succeed.”

Thus, Zelensky aims to demonstrate that Ukraine and the US must jointly confront the Russia-China alliance, the report says.

It is also suggested that Zelensky – who for the first time since the beginning of the special military operation (SMO) has openly criticized Beijing – may be changing his strategy. The politician might be trying to portray China as a threat to Kyiv in order to draw closer to the US. This could also serve to drive a wedge between Washington and Moscow.

China Could Shift Balance in Ukraine

Despite all this, China remains the only country capable of fundamentally changing the course of the conflict in Ukraine. Beijing is a global leader in drone manufacturing – drones being the most crucial military equipment in the SMO for both Ukraine and Russia. If China ends up supplying the Russian military with millions of drones and electronic warfare systems, the situation on the front lines could shift dramatically.