China provided secret military training to Russian soldiers last year with the approval of Beijing’s top leadership, two European officials told Reuters. At least four generals from both countries were directly involved in the program.
Documents obtained by Reuters corroborated the officials’ account. They said the involvement of such senior military officials in training related to the Ukraine war underscored the growing depth of Russia-China military cooperation, raising concern in Europe.
Beijing denied any such training took place.
A classified Russian document seen by Reuters referenced an internal directive issued by Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in August 2025. Under the directive, a Russian military delegation traveled to China to train at People’s Liberation Army (PLA) facilities.
Part of the program included a three-week course in nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) defense at a military installation in Beijing in November 2025, according to the document. Two reports seen by Reuters contained photographs showing a Chinese instructor training Russian soldiers, who were observed examining a nuclear reactor model and learning techniques for chemical reconnaissance, radiation detection, and protecting ventilation systems from contamination.
One European official said the inclusion of NBC training made the strategic significance of the cooperation clear, calling it an extremely sensitive area for the world’s militaries. Russia’s and China’s defense ministries did not respond to requests for comment. China’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the allegations were “completely baseless.”
Last month, Reuters reported that China trained approximately 200 Russian soldiers in November 2025, citing European intelligence agencies and military documents. Some of those soldiers subsequently deployed to Ukraine. The Kremlin declined to comment at the time but accused Western media of publishing false information.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on June 15 that the EU had confirmed through its own sources that the training took place and was now assessing its potential implications. China dismissed her comments as “sheer disinformation.”
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report