Captured Chinese soldier chooses Ukraine over returning to Russia due to safety concerns
The Chinese soldier captured by the Ukrainian Forces voiced his preference to remain in Ukraine rather than be exchanged back to Russia, citing safety concerns, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The latest segment of the soldier's interrogation was released on April 10 on President Zelensky's official Telegram channel. According to documents previously published by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the soldier in the video is identified as Chang Renbo. In his testimony, he revealed that he feels safer in Ukraine and described the hospitality he received. "Ukraine treats me better, and it's safer here. I do not want to return to Russia," Renbo stated. He also provided details about his time with Russian forces, explaining that their group, comprised of several Chinese citizens, was led by a Russian national who demonstrated weapon use. An AK-47 was handed to Renbo, as heard in the recording.
During the interrogation, Ukrainian authorities questioned Chang Renbo about any contact with his family. He confessed to sending a single video home without revealing his presence in Russia, and he kept his family unaware of his military involvement to avoid alarming them. Earlier interrogation segments revealed that the 27-year-old previously worked as a rescuer. While he expressed a desire to eventually return to China, he remains apprehensive about being in Ukraine.
On April 9, President Zelensky and the SBU published initial details on the capture of two Chinese soldiers. Besides Chang Renbo, another detainee is Wang Guangjun, aged 34. Law enforcement revealed that one of them aspired to obtain Russian citizenship, paying 300,000 rubles ($3,600) for the opportunity. Some detainees were reportedly recruited in China, traveling to Moscow in February 2025 to sign contracts, while others arrived in December 2024, allegedly for tourism. One agreed to a 2 million ruble ($24,023) contract with the Russian Armed Forces, according to the Security Service of Ukraine.
News of the captured Chinese soldiers first emerged on April 8. They were apprehended on two separate fronts: near Bilohorivka, along the Kramatorsk direction, and near Tarasivka on the Pokrovsk front. President Zelensky addressed the matter to the international community, also questioning China’s public image of neutrality. Ukrainian intelligence reported that nearly 150 individuals of Chinese origin are in the Russian army, according to Zelensky.