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.

A reciprocal military training agreement between the two countries was reportedly signed around July 2025, establishing the formal framework for the program. By early 2026, some of the trained Russian soldiers had allegedly been deployed to the conflict in Ukraine.

China’s Defense Ministry responded by calling the allegations “groundless” and reaffirming Beijing’s neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict.

Why Germany is leading the response

European and NATO officials are reportedly contemplating a range of diplomatic responses, including potential sanctions. Western governments have previously raised concerns about the flow of dual-use goods from Chinese firms to Russian defense suppliers. Direct soldier-to-soldier training represents a qualitatively different kind of involvement.