The European Union has officially confirmed the secret training of Russian military personnel on Chinese territory. According to EU intelligence data, Beijing has trained hundreds of fighters to participate in hostilities against Ukraine, and some of them are already at the front lines.

This was stated by a senior EU official in an interview with the Suspilne TV channel, as reported by RBC-Ukraine. "Our services have confirmed that such training is taking place in several locations within China. We are talking about hundreds of people, but this contradicts what the Chinese side has told us so far," the diplomat emphasized.

Emergency Meeting in Luxembourg

The situation regarding military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow will be the main topic of the upcoming meeting of EU foreign ministers. On Monday in Luxembourg, diplomats will discuss further interaction with China, focusing on foreign and defense policy issues.

The agenda includes critically important topics that go beyond the Ukrainian conflict:

  • The problem of the European defense industry's dependence on Chinese supply chains.
  • The influence of Chinese economic players on the European market.
  • Coordination of the EU's collective interests in the event of a possible crisis in the Far East region.

Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who will participate in the negotiations, intends to emphasize the need for internal unity within the European Union. In her opinion, only a consolidated position will allow for the effective management of relations with such a powerful geopolitical partner as China.

Who Exactly Was Trained in China?

Earlier, Reuters reported that at the end of last year, about 200 Russian soldiers were secretly trained on the territory of the PRC. Later, some of them returned to the combat zone. The German publication Welt clarified the details: among those trained could be drone operators from the elite "Rubikon" unit.

Official Beijing categorically denies these accusations. Chinese authorities call such claims an attempt to shift responsibility for the war in Ukraine onto other players. The Kremlin has taken a similar position. Russian President's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that reports of secret training of Russian soldiers in China do not correspond to reality and urged them to be treated critically.