Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov greenlit a secret program that sent roughly 200 Russian soldiers to Beijing for three weeks of specialized military training by Chinese People’s Liberation Army instructors. The training, which took place in November 2025, focused on radiological, chemical, and biological defense, a subject matter that carries obvious implications given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The program is explicitly linked to Russian military operations in Ukraine. European intelligence officials who examined the underlying documents confirmed the arrangement is reciprocal, meaning Chinese military personnel are also receiving training on Russian soil.
What the training actually covered
The three-week course wasn’t your standard boot camp exercise. Russian soldiers received instruction in reconnaissance techniques, ventilation system protection, and nuclear reactor modeling, all under the umbrella of RCB (radiological, chemical, and biological) defense.
The bilateral agreement enabling this training was signed on July 2, 2025. Belousov formally approved the program in August 2025, and by November, the soldiers were on the ground in Beijing. At least four senior generals from both Russia and China oversaw the initiative, underscoring the seniority and seriousness with which both sides approached the arrangement.
