Exclusive: Russia to Train Chinese Troops to Counter NATO Weapons – HUR

Despite public statements about seeking dialogue with the US, the Kremlin is quietly expanding military cooperation with China. According to Kyiv Post sources in Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR), Moscow is set to host around 600 Chinese military personnel in 2025 for training at Russian Armed Forces bases and military centers.

“The Kremlin has decided to allow Chinese military personnel to study and adopt the combat experience Russia has gained in its war against Ukraine,” a HUR source told Kyiv Post.

The Chinese servicemen will be trained to counter Western weaponry, with a focus on preparing tank operators, artillerymen, engineers, and air defense specialists.

The intelligence source said this underlines the fact that “such decisions by Moscow and Beijing clearly illustrate the Russian regime’s intention to align with China in a course of global confrontation with the West.”

Earlier last month, President Volodymyr Zelensky said China has stopped selling drones to Kyiv and other European nations, while continuing shipments to Russia.

Drones have been a defining feature of the war in Ukraine, providing both sides with the opportunity to see the battlefield and strike deep behind enemy lines. Ukraine was initially entirely dependent on imported Chinese drones, such as the DJI Mavic, but now has the capacity to manufacture a large number of drones domestically.

“Chinese Mavic is open for Russians but is closed for Ukrainians,” Zelensky told a group of reporters on Tuesday. “There are production lines on Russian territory where there are Chinese representatives,” reported Bloomberg.

However, last month China said it backed direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, after US President Donald Trump announced the two would “immediately” start peace talks after he spoke with Vladimir Putin: “China supports all efforts aimed at achieving peace,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

Since Russia ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022, Beijing has portrayed itself as a neutral party in the conflict, but the West has accused it of enabling Russia economically and diplomatically.