The modern war in Ukraine has become a unique proving ground for studying new tactics and technologies. According to Western intelligence data, Beijing is actively using this opportunity to compensate for its own lack of combat experience, which has persisted since 1979. China is not merely observing events but is directly adopting Russian methods of warfare, including the use of drones and urban assault tactics.
The Volgograd Training Ground
European intelligence agencies have recorded a worrying fact: since 2024, Chinese military personnel have been training at a range near the Russian city of Volgograd. This location has become a key hub for exchanging experience. Units of the Russian Federation's 8th Combined Arms Army, which are directly involved in fighting on the eastern front of Ukraine, regularly train at the same base. Such joint training allows Beijing to adopt tactical decisions tested in real combat conditions.
Technological Exchange: From Air Defense to Submarines
Cooperation between Moscow and Beijing goes far beyond infantry tactics. Western officials report that Russia is transferring advanced technologies in the field of air and missile defense to China. Special attention is being paid to the modernization of Chinese nuclear submarines. Russian specialists are helping to make these submarines less visible to enemy intelligence, which is critically important for Beijing in the context of a possible operation against Taiwan.
Furthermore, the countries are working jointly on creating a ballistic missile early warning system. Russian leader Vladimir Putin mentioned plans in this direction back in 2019, however, the implementation of the project is gaining momentum precisely now, against the backdrop of the conflict escalation.
Studying the Effectiveness of Western Weaponry
For China, analyzing the real effectiveness of Western weapon systems is extremely important. Lyle Goldstein, an expert from Brown University, notes that Beijing is interested in Russian data on the performance of HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems. This weapon is in the arsenal of the Taiwan army, and understanding its vulnerabilities and strengths is a strategic priority for the Chinese command.
Official Denial and Real Facts
Official Beijing denies the fact of training its military based on the Ukrainian experience and attempts to downplay the scale of military-technical cooperation with the Russian Federation. However, intelligence data and expert testimony say the opposite. The Economist emphasizes that China is striving to compensate for decades of the absence of real combat operations by studying modern methods of warfare.
According to Reuters data, in November 2025, joint Chinese-Russian exercises took place at one of the military facilities in Beijing. The training of Russian military personnel in China was personally coordinated by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Andrei Belousov. Earlier, the agency reported that at the end of 2025, China secretly trained about 200 Russian military personnel on its territory. Some of them returned to the front after completing their studies to participate in the war against Ukraine.
