Classified documents reviewed by Reuters indicate that Russia’s defense leadership approved a little-known military training program in China for Russian troops during 2025.
According to two European officials familiar with the documents, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov signed an internal authorization in August of that year that permitted Russian military personnel to travel to China for instruction at facilities run by the People’s Liberation Army.
European officials said the involvement of senior commanders from both countries suggested that the exchanges carried considerable weight for Moscow and Beijing while the war in Ukraine continues. Chinese authorities have denied that such training occurred.
One course took place in Beijing in November 2025 and lasted for three weeks. The program focused on protection against nuclear, biological and chemical threats. Reports from the training included photographs showing Russian personnel in classrooms with Chinese instructors and studying equipment used for radiation and chemical detection.
A European official said that military training in these areas is usually treated as highly sensitive and reflects a deeper level of cooperation than routine exchanges.
Another report described sessions held in Nanjing. Russian participants gave positive assessments of the equipment and training methods they saw there, especially the use of simulators and the technical knowledge of the instructors. The same report also observed that China’s armed forces have limited experience in modern combat.
The documents named several senior officers who took part in the program. Col. Gen. Rustam Muradov, a deputy commander of Russia’s ground forces, led one of the Russian delegations. Chinese officer Li Jinsong, who heads a military academy that specializes in nuclear, chemical and biological defense, attended the opening of one course. Russian Maj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov was listed among those participating in another training session in Bengbu.
The files also contained personal details about participants, including their military positions and security clearance information.
Reuters reported earlier this year that roughly 200 Russian soldiers trained in China in late 2025 and that some later returned to the fighting in Ukraine.
The documents say the exchanges were governed by an agreement signed in Beijing on July 2, 2025, by Russian officer Rustam Khusainov and Chinese officer Sun Dayun. Under that arrangement, Russian troops were scheduled to attend courses at Chinese military sites in Beijing and Nanjing, while Chinese personnel would take part in training activities inside Russia during the same period.
Russian troops received instruction in several military fields, including drone operations, electronic warfare, army aviation and the use of armored infantry units. The agreement also stated that the visits should not receive media attention and that outside countries were not to be informed.
On June 15, 2026, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc had verified through its own channels that the training had occurred and was examining its possible implications. China rejected the statement and called the accusation slander.
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