Beijing (Diplomat.so) - Die Welt reported on Tuesday, citing confidential European intelligence documents, that China's armed forces allegedly conducted covert training programs for hundreds of Russian soldiers in late 2025 across six military sites, with some participants later deployed to combat operations in Ukraine in early 2026.
Die Welt reported that the programs involved Russian personnel from multiple military branches and varying ranks, including individuals linked to the elite "Rubicon” drone warfare unit.
The newspaper stated that training modules reportedly included "use of drones, electronic counter-drone measures, and simulated modern combat scenarios,” delivered at six separate military installations across China under tightly controlled conditions. The sessions reportedly spanned late 2025 and included structured field simulations designed to mirror contemporary electronic warfare environments, according to the report.
Mark Heinrichmann, chair of the Bundestag intelligence oversight committee, told Handelsblatt that "cooperation between Moscow and Beijing has increased in both military and economic fields since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022.”
Die Welt further reported that Russia had also conducted separate training for approximately 600 Chinese soldiers in the previous year, focusing on armoured warfare, artillery systems, military engineering, and air defence operations.
The report added that both countries have been exchanging information on Western-supplied weapon systems used in Ukraine, including HIMARS rocket artillery and Patriot air defence platforms provided by the United States. German foreign intelligence service BND did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the report, as the allegations circulated during a period of heightened diplomatic engagement involving senior Russian and Chinese officials.
The reported developments come amid deepening strategic alignment between Moscow and Beijing since the escalation of the Ukraine war, with analysts warning of potential implications for battlefield adaptation and military technology transfer.
Security observers note that the exchange of tactics and systems knowledge could influence operational effectiveness on both sides while complicating Western defence planning. The timing of the allegations, coinciding with high-level political interactions in Beijing, has intensified scrutiny among European security institutions, though independent verification of the reported training activities remains limited and has not been publicly confirmed by the intelligence agencies referenced in the documents.
