0
Russian soldiers conduct training at the Kadamovsky firing range in the Rostov region of southern Russia on January 13, 2022 (local time). / AP Yonhap

It has belatedly emerged that Russia covertly conducted military training for its troops in China last year, sparking concerns over deepening defense ties as high-ranking generals from both nations were found to have directly participated in the program.

Reuters reported on July 1 (local time), citing two European diplomatic sources and classified documents, that the secret training took place in China last year and involved the direct participation of at least four Russian and Chinese generals.

According to the documents, a Russian military delegation traveled to China in August last year under instructions from Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov to take part in training at People's Liberation Army (PLA) facilities.

In particular, they underwent a three-week program on radiological, chemical, and biological (RCB) defense at a military facility in Beijing in November of the same year.

Another document contained photographs showing Russian soldiers attending lectures by Chinese instructors, inspecting a simulated nuclear reactor, and receiving training on chemical and radiological reconnaissance as well as ventilation system decontamination.

One source noted that the inclusion of radiological, biological, and chemical warfare exercises indicates this was far from a simple tactical exercise, adding that collaborating on such advanced and high-risk fields remains an exceptionally sensitive issue for any military.

Experts point out that training together to respond to hazardous weapons like nuclear, chemical, and biological agents signals a profound level of strategic cooperation between the two nations, raising inevitable concerns given the highly sensitive nature of the topic both militarily and internationally.

		0
Russian soldiers conduct a military operation inside an apartment building at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on October 17, 2024 (local time). / AP Yonhap

In response, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement denying the allegations, maintaining that Beijing holds a neutral stance on the Ukraine war and that the reports are entirely groundless.

Russia also dismissed the report as complete fiction, stating that Russia has nothing to learn from China.

The two diplomatic sources revealed that a bilateral agreement dated July 2 last year, which corroborates the training, bore the signatures of Russian Major General Rustam Khusainov and Chinese Brigadier General Sun Dayun.

According to the participant list verified by Reuters, Colonel General Rustam Muradov, deputy commander-in-chief of Russia's ground forces, led the Russian delegation.

"The involvement of such high-ranking officials in exercises linked to the Ukraine war underscores the profound significance of this cooperation to both Moscow and Beijing," one source remarked. "Despite China's denials, this has sparked serious concern across Europe."

Reuters noted that the European Union has already sanctioned several Chinese companies since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and is currently discussing countermeasures, viewing China not merely as an economic partner but as a decisive enabler of Russia's war effort.

                                                                                                           Park Jin-sook