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Russia forces aren’t as strong as they claim, say captured Chinese fighters
被俘的中国战士说，俄罗斯军队并不像他们声称的那么强大
张仁波（左）和王冠荣说，他们通过网络广告被招募为雇佣兵后加入了俄罗斯军队 - Shutterstock
Two Chinese citizens captured fighting against Ukraine said they were “fed lies” by Russia and that Vladimir Putin’s forces were not as strong as they claimed.
两名在对抗乌克兰的战斗中被俘的中国公民表示，他们被俄罗斯“灌输了谎言”，弗拉基米尔·普京的部队并不像他们声称的那么强大。
Wang Guanjung and Zhang Renbo were captured fighting for Russia in eastern Ukraine earlier this month.
本月早些时候，王冠荣和张仁波在乌克兰东部为俄罗斯作战时被捕。
Handcuffed and wearing military fatigues at a briefing organised by Ukrinform, the Ukrainian national news agency, the pair said: “All Russia fed us are lies. They’re fake. Russia isn’t as strong as they claim, and Ukraine isn’t as backward as they say.”
在乌克兰国家通讯社 Ukrinform 组织的一次简报会上，两人戴着手铐，身穿军装，说：“俄罗斯给我们的都是谎言。他们是假的。俄罗斯并不像他们声称的那么强大，乌克兰也没有他们说的那么落后。
张先生在乌克兰国家通讯社 STRINGER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 组织的新闻发布会上向记者发表讲话时被戴上手铐
President Zelensky initially demanded that Beijing explain why Chinese soldiers, as he referred to them, were fighting for Russia.
泽连斯基总统最初要求北京解释为什么他所说的中国士兵要为俄罗斯而战。
The pair stressed, however, that they were not fighting on behalf of China and had no links to Chinese state authorities. Instead, they were recruited as mercenaries through online advertisements, they said.
然而，这对夫妇强调，他们不是代表中国战斗，也与中国国家当局没有任何联系。相反，他们是通过在线广告招募的雇佣兵 。
Mr Wang said he was recruited through a TikTok advert. He told reporters he then travelled via coaches and minibuses to Kazan in south-west Russia, before moving through Rostov-on-Don before entering eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, where he enlisted in the army with Mr Zhang.
王先生说，他是通过 TikTok 广告招募的。他告诉记者，他随后乘坐长途汽车和小巴前往俄罗斯西南部的喀山，然后穿过顿河畔罗斯托夫，然后进入乌克兰东部的顿涅茨克地区 ，在那里他与张先生一起入伍。
Mr Zhang told reporters he was in Russia as a tourist when he spotted an advert with the offer of two million roubles (£18,400) and decided to enlist.
张先生告诉记者，他当时正在俄罗斯旅游，当时他看到一则出价 200 万卢布（18,400 英镑）的广告，并决定入伍。
The pair were both captured in Donetsk, with footage of their detention released on April 8.
两人都在顿涅茨克被捕，他们被拘留的视频于 4 月 8 日公布。
Credit: X/@ZelenskyyUa 信用：X/@ZelenskyyUa
Both prisoners said they were taken captive immediately after arriving on the front line and had not killed any Ukrainian troops.
两名囚犯都表示，他们在抵达前线后立即被俘虏，没有杀死任何乌克兰士兵。
Mr Zelensky said last week that there were at least 155 Chinese nationals fighting for Russia in the war, a claim Beijing has dismissed as “irresponsible”.
China denies significant numbers of its citizens are serving in the Russian armed forces, saying it advises nationals to “avoid participating in military operations of any party” and is a “staunch supporter” of peace in Ukraine.
Credit: @TGTM_Official
The only example so far of a foreign country deploying soldiers to help Russia in its war effort is North Korea. However, those troops have not been allowed to fight inside Ukrainian territory.
Asked about conditions inside the Russian camps, the Chinese prisoners described a lack of water and electricity.
Mr Wang recalled an instance when they worked until the early hours of the morning, only to be given “a pinch of raw rice”.
His account is consistent with reported accounts from North Korean soldiers, who have complained of a lack of food in the Russian army.
Both told reporters that they were expecting to face punishment on their return to China, but said this had not dissuaded them from wanting to go home.
“I understand that punishment is possible and I am prepared for it, because it’s clear that for participating in war and such actions, there can be consequences. Still, I want to return home to my family,” Mr Wang said.
“For those Chinese compatriots who wish to join the war against Ukraine, I just want to say...don’t join this war,” he added.
The Ukrainian security service said both men had undergone initial interrogations and were being held as prisoners of war in Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump took a fresh swipe at Mr Zelensky during a meeting with reporters in the Oval Office.
On Monday, the US president claimed that his Ukrainian counterpart had “allowed” the war with Russia to begin, before questioning his competence and insisting Putin would never have invaded under his leadership.
“The mistake was letting the war happen. If Biden were competent, and if Zelensky were competent, and I don’t know that he is …he just kept asking for more and more, that war should have never been allowed to happen,” he said.
“You take a look at Putin. I’m not saying anybody’s an angel. But I will tell you I went four years and it wasn’t even a question [he would invade Ukraine], he would never.”
Questioned on whether he would accept an offer made by Mr Zelensky to buy 10 US-made Patriot air defence missile systems for $15 billion (£11.34 billion), he answered: “When you start a war, you’ve got to know that you can win the war, right?”
