Chinese mercenaries Zhang Renbao and Wang Guangjun, who were captured by Ukrainian forces in Donetsk region, have declared their readiness for a prisoner exchange and are appealing to the Chinese government to bring them back home.
They made this statement during a briefing at Ukrinform.
“We are ready for an exchange and we want to return to China, to our homeland,” one of the prisoners said.
The two Chinese captives confirmed they are aware of the possible punishment awaiting them in their home country and are prepared to face it.
“In China, under the law, regardless of where you took part in hostilities, you will face punishment,” said Zhang.
“I understand that punishment is possible and I am prepared for it, because it’s clear that for participating in war and such actions, there can be consequences. Still, I want to return home to my family,” added Wang.
At the same time, they noted they are unaware of the possible length or nature of the punishment, as the Chinese government has not communicated any such details.
During the briefing, the prisoners once again emphasized that they had no prior connection to Chinese state authorities, had not served in the military, and signed contracts with the Russian army after being influenced by online advertisements.
“On some Chinese platforms like Kuaishou or TikTok, there are certain bloggers who advertise such recruitment content,” Wang said.
Responding to a question about whether they had received instructions from the Russian military on what to do if captured, Zhang stated that no such guidance was provided. However, foreign recruits were led to believe they could “die a very brutal death in captivity.”
Spokesperson for the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) Artem Dekhtiarenko said during the briefing that once in Ukrainian custody, the Chinese nationals were treated appropriately.
“After receiving emergency medical care, both foreign nationals were handed over to the Security Service of Ukraine for necessary investigative and procedural actions. They were transported to Kyiv, where they are held under conditions that fully comply with the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war. I’d like to emphasize that this press conference is taking place with the consent of the prisoners themselves, in accordance with international law,” Dekhtiarenko noted.
According to him, the SSU investigators have already conducted initial interrogations and confirmed that both Chinese nationals joined the Russian armed forces by signing respective contracts.
During the briefing, both prisoners stated they were captured immediately after arriving at the front line and had not killed any Ukrainian soldiers.
They also mentioned that their families are unaware of their capture and that they have not yet been visited by representatives of the International Red Cross or other humanitarian organizations.
As reported earlier, the two Chinese nationals were taken prisoner in Donetsk region. One was captured by fighters of the 2nd Battalion of the 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade near the village of Tarasivka, and the other one by servicemen of the 1st Battalion of the 81st Airborne Assault Brigade near Bilohorivka. According to both men, they were captured during their very first combat mission. One of them, born in 1991 and unemployed, was recruited by a Russian representative directly in China and traveled to Moscow in February 2025 to sign a contract. He claimed he had no prior combat experience or weapons training. The other, born in 1998, arrived in Russia in December 2024, allegedly for tourism. He said he later applied to sign a contract after responding to an online advertisement promising a 2-million-ruble payout for military service.
2025-04-14 16:10:00 ,
