Russia’s top defense official personally signed off on a secret military training program in China last year, with at least four generals from both countries directly involved, according to two European officials and classified documents reviewed by Reuters.
The officials said the participation of such high-level figures in training connected to the Ukraine war underscores how significant this cooperation is to both Moscow and Beijing — even as China continues to deny the program ever happened.
A classified Russian document reviewed by Reuters referenced an internal directive issued by Defence Minister Andrei Belousov in August 2025. According to that document, a Russian armed forces delegation traveled to China to take part in training exercises at People’s Liberation Army facilities, in accordance with Belousov’s order.
Radiological, Biological, and Chemical Warfare Instruction
Among the training sessions described in the documents was a three-week course held at a military facility in Beijing in November, focused on protection against radiological, chemical, and biological threats. Images and descriptions in two separate reports showed Russian soldiers receiving instruction from a Chinese trainer, examining a model nuclear reactor, and learning about “chemical reconnaissance,” “radiation reconnaissance,” and how to shield ventilation systems from contamination.
One of the European officials noted that including this type of warfare training highlighted the strategic depth of the exchanges, calling the subject matter especially sensitive within military circles.
Neither Russia’s nor China’s defense ministries responded to requests for comment. China’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying its position on the Ukraine conflict has not changed, adding that “the relevant allegations are entirely unfounded.”
Beijing maintains it is neutral in the conflict and portrays itself as a potential peace broker.
A Reuters report published last month, drawing on European intelligence sources and military documents, revealed that China trained roughly 200 Russian military personnel in November, some of whom have since been deployed to Ukraine. The Kremlin declined to address that report directly but criticized what it called “false information” coming from Western outlets.
On June 15, the European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that Brussels had independently confirmed through its own channels that the training occurred and was evaluating what steps to take next. Beijing dismissed her remarks as “nothing but smears.”
EU Weighs Its Response
European nations, which have viewed Russia as their primary security concern since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, have grown increasingly uneasy as relations between Moscow and Beijing have deepened. China is the world’s second-largest economy and a major trading partner for the EU.
Within the 27-member bloc, private discussions are focused on whether additional measures are warranted in response to the training, balanced against the economic ties that have long defined the EU’s relationship with China. The EU has already sanctioned Chinese companies it says are helping to fuel Russia’s war effort.
A third official based in Brussels told Reuters that the bloc needs to stop seeing China primarily as a trade partner and instead focus on what Kallas described as its role as a “decisive enabler of Russia’s war.”
Both European officials, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, identified the signatories of a July 2 agreement that laid the groundwork for the training as Russian Major General Rustam Khusainov and Chinese Senior Colonel Sun Dayun.
Andrei Kartapolov, a senior member of Russia’s parliament who chairs its defense committee, told Russian outlet RTVI that the training reports were “complete nonsense” and insisted Russia’s military had nothing to gain from China in that regard.
China’s Limited Combat Experience Noted
Russia has amassed substantial battlefield experience over more than four years of fighting in Ukraine, while China — despite having a large and technologically sophisticated military — has not engaged in armed conflict in decades.
Internal Russian military documents reviewed by Reuters offered assessments of both the strengths and shortcomings of the training program. One report covering training conducted in Nanjing praised the quality of equipment, the use of simulators, and the instructors’ strong theoretical knowledge, while also specifically pointing out China’s absence of real combat experience.
Additional documents named three generals who participated in the program. One Russian military document included a full roster of all participants across every course — listing rank, date of birth, organizational affiliation, and security clearance level for each individual, including senior officers.
Colonel General Rustam Muradov, deputy commander-in-chief of Russia’s ground forces, led the Russian delegation, according to the participant list and a second military document. That second document also indicated that Chinese Major General Li Jinsun, who heads the PLA’s Military Academy of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence, was present at the opening of one of the courses. Russian Major General Vitaly Gerasimov participated in a course held in Bengbu, according to the roster.
