This handout video grab published on the official Telegram channel of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shows, according to the Ukrainian president, one of two Chinese soldiers he said were captured by Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region. AFP
"The Chinese side's position on the issue of the Ukraine crisis is clear and unequivocal, and has won widespread approval from the international community," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukrainian troops had captured two Chinese citizens fighting alongside Russian forces, with Kyiv demanding an explanation from Beijing.
Moscow and Beijing have in recent years boasted of their "no limits" partnership and deepened political, military and economic cooperation since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
"Our military captured two Chinese citizens who fought in the Russian army. This happened on the territory of Ukraine -- in the Donetsk region," Zelensky said in a post on social media.
"We have the documents of these prisoners, bank cards, and personal data," Zelensky said in a post that included a video of one of the alleged Chinese prisoners.
The video showed a man wearing military fatigues with his hands bound, mimicking sounds from combat and uttering a small number of words in Mandarin, during an apparent interview with a Ukrainian official not pictured.
At one point he is heard saying the word "commander".
A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that the prisoners were likely Chinese citizens who were enticed into signing a contract with the Russian army, rather than being sent by Beijing.
They were captured "a few days ago", the source said, adding there may be more of them.
"Nothing is completely clear yet. When they are delivered to the SBU (Ukraine's security service) and at least interrogated, we will understand," the source added.
The source sent images of ID cards linked to one of the prisoners, which showed the date of his birth as June 4, 1991, and said he belonged to the Han ethnicity -- the majority ethnic group in China.
20 injured in drone strikes
Ukrainian authorities said early Wednesday that 20 people had been injured in three cities in Russian drone strikes overnight.
Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Sergiy Lysak said on Telegram 14 people were injured in Dnipro, with one in a serious condition. The casualties were aged between 18 and 87.
The southeastern city's mayor Borys Filatov said five high-rise buildings were damaged.
Donetsk region governor Vadym Filashkin said an 11-year-old girl, her mother and her grandmother were injured in Kramatorsk following a "massive attack by Russian drones".
And three people were injured in Kharkiv, authorities said, with the regional prosecutor's office adding that around 15 strikes hit an industrial area in the eastern city, impacting confectionery and paint manufacturers, among other civilian enterprises.
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