Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski answers the questions of the press, against the background of F-16 fighters of Ukraine Air Force, in an undisclosed location, August 4, 2024. Photo source: Efrem Lukatsky / AP / Profimedia
Ukraine has information showing that China provides Russian artillery and dust dust, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski on Thursday, a few days after Ukrainian soldiers have announced that they had taken prisoners Chinese citizens fought for the Moscow army, informs Reuters, AFP and The Kyiv Independent.
“I think next week we will be able to say in detail that we believe that Chinese representatives are involved in the production of weapons on the territory of Russia,” he said at a press conference in Kiev.
“I finally received information that China provides weapons to the Russian Federation,” Zelenski added, in front of journalists.
“Today, we have general information from the Security Service (of Ukraine – SBU, no), from the information services on rifle dust, artillery,” said the leader from Kiev.
Zelenski did not specify whether it refers to artillery or howitzer systems.
These statements risk to uphold the relationships between Kiev and Beijing, already tense that Ukraine has made public, in early April, the capture of Chinese citizens fighting for Russia, notes Reuters.
At that time, Zelenski said that the Ukrainian forces met six Chinese soldiers, and two of them were taken prisoners. He added that he ordered Ukrainian officials to get an explanation from Beijing, recalls Sky News.
China has been trying to maintain an external perception of neutrality so far in the war that has been lasting for more than three years caused by Ukraine's large -scale invasion.
Ukraine has previously appealed to China to use its influence on Russia to push it into peace.
“We already have data on this activity of China and Russia to strengthen their defense capabilities,” Zelenski said on the press briefing on Thursday, expressing his consistency that Chinese President XI Jinping promised that Beijing would not sell or provide weapons to Moscow.
Although positioned as a neutral country, China deepened economic ties with Moscow and supported Russia against Western sanctions. It has also become the main source of supply of Moscow with double use goods for the Russian defense industry, notes The Kyiv Independent.
Previously, several reports in the press suggested that Beijing sent weapons during the war, but China denied this. In the summer of 2024, Zelenski stated that Beijing confirmed that he would not provide weapons to Russia.
Earlier this month, two Chinese citizens were taken prisoners by the Ukrainian soldiers while fighting the Russian army against Ukraine, in the Donetk region. Later, Zelenski said that at least “several hundred” of Chinese citizens are fighting on Russia in the Ukraine war.
One of the captured soldiers said he paid 300,000 rubles (approximately $ 3,500) to a China intermediary to join the Russian army in exchange for the promise that he will receive Russian citizenship, the press service of a Ukrainian military unit has previously transmitted to Ukrainska Pravda.
Beijing has repeatedly denied any direct involvement in the war and insisted that he appealed to his citizens to stay away from armed conflicts.
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