A Chinese language prisoner in Ukraine mentioned movies on Douyin, China’s model of TikTok, enticed him to hitch Russia’s navy.
The person, recognized by Ukraine as 34-year-old Wang Guangjun, spoke to worldwide and Ukrainian press in a two-hour press convention on Monday. He and one other Chinese language man described what they mentioned was life in Russia’s armed forces and their eventual journey to the entrance traces.
Each males have been captured in Donetsk, Ukraine mentioned on Wednesday. Enterprise Insider couldn’t independently verify the lads’s statements, although they’re in keeping with what might be noticed on Chinese language social media.
Wang advised the press in Mandarin that he was an “bizarre worker” in China who labored in rehabilitation remedy.
“My household might be thought-about a somewhat harmonious one, with a spouse, with youngsters, with dad and mom,” Wang mentioned. “However due to China’s pandemic points, I misplaced my job. So I used to be searching for any form of work; that is how I ended up on this scenario.”
Wang mentioned that whereas in China, he had watched “flashy and funky” movies on Douyin of Russian troopers and weapons.
“As a result of in China, the standing and social id of a Chinese language soldier could be very excessive, particularly within the hearts of the general public,” Wang mentioned. “So in China, each male has this dream of success.”
“When you’re in China and haven’t any probability of being a soldier, and also you see this sort of alternative, you are feeling a stirring of the guts,” he added. “And I got here from that form of motivation.”
Bytedance, the agency that owns Douyin and TikTok, didn’t reply to a request for remark despatched by BI.
Rehab therapist on the entrance traces
Genya SAVILOV / AFP through Getty Pictures
Wang mentioned he had seen a video selling a job in Russia’s navy that concerned offering rehabilitation remedy to injured troopers.
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“It mentioned that as a result of Russia’s final two years of preventing, there have been quite a lot of injured individuals who wanted us to manage rehabilitation remedy,” he mentioned.
He added that the video promised that the position wouldn’t contain preventing towards Ukraine.
“Once I arrived in Moscow and reported for work, additionally they advised me the identical. However after I adopted them to the recruitment workplace and signed up, after which went to the coaching camp, I used to be now not answerable for my scenario,” he mentioned. “At that time, I might now not make my very own choices.”
Chinese language social media platforms typically function pro-Russia movies — from Chechen particular forces exhibiting off captured NATO weapons to clips of younger Russian troopers labeled as “good-looking huge brothers.” State media typically emphasizes Moscow and Beijing’s “no-limits” partnership.
Nonetheless, Wang mentioned Chinese language authorities had warned him to not cross into Russia for the job, which he did anyway. He and the opposite Chinese language prisoner, recognized as 27-year-old Zhang Renbo, mentioned they weren’t related to any Chinese language safety or armed forces.
Per Wang, he was given a number of days of coaching in Moscow after which was despatched in February to the Russian cities of Kazan and Rostov. He mentioned he was finally deployed to northern Donetsk on April 4, after which he was captured by Kyiv’s forces.
A vacationer within the trenches
GENYA SAVILOV/AFP through Getty Pictures
In the meantime, Zhang advised reporters that he labored as a firefighter in Shanghai and had traveled to Russia on trip in December.
Zhang mentioned he had tried to “earn a bit of cash” whereas on vacation and that he was provided work in building, however later realized that the job as a substitute was really within the warzone.
“The Chinese language media and state media at all times emphasised our friendship with Russia, so we at all times have trusted them. Due to this belief, maybe we have now been taken benefit of,” Zhang mentioned.
He mentioned he was despatched to Rostov in early January, the place he obtained about six days of coaching, and was moved to Donetsk later. Zhang mentioned he spent a few month within the trenches till March 31, after which he and two different troopers have been ordered to advance on the entrance traces and have been captured.
Each Wang and Zhang mentioned they agreed to talk publicly within the hope that China would discover their imprisonment and negotiate their return.
“In case you are contemplating becoming a member of this warfare towards Ukraine, to my fellow Chinese language, don’t take part on this combat,” Wang mentioned.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has mentioned that his authorities believes greater than 150 Chinese language residents are preventing in Ukraine for the Russian navy.
“North Koreans have been preventing towards us within the Kursk area, whereas the Chinese language have been preventing towards us in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy mentioned on April 8.
Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s overseas ministry, known as Zelenskyy’s remarks “irresponsible.”
“The Chinese language authorities at all times asks Chinese language nationals to keep away from areas of armed battle, keep away from any type of involvement in armed battle, and specifically keep away from participation in any occasion’s navy operations,” he mentioned.
