The Ukrainian milit has captured two Chinese citizens whom it said fought with the Russian army, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement Tuesday.
The Chinese nationals were captured in the eastern Donetsk region and were being held by Ukraine’s security service, Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram, without providing evidence. He added that intelligence indicated that there were “significantly more Chinese citizens in the units of the occupier than two.”
Neither the Chinese embassy in Washington nor the Kremlin immediately responded to requests for comment from NBC News.
Zelenskyy said he had instructed Ukraine’s foreign affairs ministry to immediately contact Beijing and find out “how China is going to react to this.”
The Ukrainian leader suggested the incident was a “clear signal that Putin is going to do anything, except end the war,” as efforts to negotiate a ceasefire deal to bring a halt to the war in Ukraine continue.
“He is looking for a way to continue fighting,” Zelenskyy said. “This definitely requires a reaction. A reaction from the United States, Europe, and everyone in the world who wants peace.”
It comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent close ally Kirill Dmitriev to Washington earlier this month for diplomatic talks, marking the most senior Kremlin official to visit since Russia invaded Ukraine in Febru 2022.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
