Germany has entered urgent diplomatic talks with China following reports that Beijing covertly trained approximately 200 Russian soldiers in late 2025. The training allegedly covered advanced drone operations, electronic warfare, and chemical defense tactics, with some of those soldiers reportedly now fighting in Ukraine.
What the intelligence reports allege
The story first broke in May 2026 when Germany’s Die Welt newspaper published a report citing European intelligence sources. According to those sources, China’s People’s Liberation Army trained roughly 200 Russian soldiers at military facilities in Beijing, Nanjing, and Shijiazhuang during November 2025.
The training curriculum included advanced drone operations, electronic warfare tactics, counter-drone systems, and radiological, biological, and chemical defense techniques.
Reuters subsequently published more detailed reporting on July 1, 2026, revealing that the program was personally authorized through a classified decree by Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in August 2025. The initiative involved high-ranking officers from both nations, including Russian Major General Rustam Khusainov and Chinese Senior Colonel Sun Dayun.
