Two informed U.S. officials and a former Western intelligence official have revealed that over 100 Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine appear to be mercenaries with no direct connection to the Chinese government.

However, the former official told Reuters that Chinese officers were present behind Russian lines with Beijing's approval, seeking to gather tactical lessons from the war.

Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific region, confirmed on Wednesday that Ukrainian forces had captured two Chinese nationals in eastern Ukraine after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated his country had information about 155 Chinese citizens fighting there alongside Russia.

China dismissed Zelensky's remarks as "irresponsible," stating that it is not involved in the war. Beijing had previously declared a "no limits" partnership with Moscow and refrained from criticizing Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The U.S. officials, speaking anonymously, indicated that the Chinese fighters seemed to have received minimal training and had no notable impact on Russian military operations.

The CIA, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Security Council, and the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

A former Western intelligence official familiar with the matter told Reuters that around 200 Chinese mercenaries fighting for Russia have no ties to the Chinese government. Meanwhile, Chinese military officers, with Beijing's approval, are conducting tours near Russian front lines to extract lessons and understand tactics used in the war.

China has provided material support to Moscow for years in its war against Ukraine, primarily through the shipment of dual-use goods required for maintaining weapons such as drones and tanks. Beijing has also supplied Russia with destructive drones for battlefield use. In October, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on two Chinese companies for supplying Russia with weapon systems.

Volunteers from Western countries, including the United States, have been fighting on Ukraine's behalf since the early days of the war. North Korea has reportedly deployed more than 12,000 soldiers to support Russian forces, thousands of whom have been killed or injured in combat.