In an ad posted on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, men are seen leaving their day jobs to go fight for Russia in Ukraine.
The clip -- in Russian with Chinese subtitles -- ends with a call to action, saying, "You're a man. Be a man," before saying recruits could get a signing bonus ranging from the equivalent of $7,000 to $21,000 and a monthly income worth about $2,400.
That clip alone has racked up hundreds of thousands of views, and it's just one of the advertisements circulated online in China trying to bring fighters to the battlefield in Ukraine.
Advertisements like this are in a newfound spotlight since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on April 8 that Kyiv had captured two Chinese mercenaries fighting for Russia.
He's since gone on to accuse Russia of conducting a "systematic campaign" to recruit Chinese soldiers and to claim the two captured men are among at least 155 other Chinese citizens fighting for Russia's army.
And while testimonials of Chinese nationals fighting for both Ukraine and Russia have circulated since the early days of the all-out war, Zelenskyy's recent comments have sparked a closer look at how Russia has recruited them.
Zelenskyy's remarks add to previous reporting about foreign mercenaries in Ukraine -- including exclusive hospitalization records that RFE/RL obtained showing the true scale of Russia's war casualties. That database included a Chinese man, and in messages with RFE/RL he confirmed he was a Chinese citizen who fought with Russian forces but refused to give further details.
Why Are Chinese Nationals Fighting For Russia?
The biggest allure appears to be financial. Ads posted on Chinese social media platforms emphasize pay that exceeds the average monthly income outside of major cities in China -- and comment sections on recruitment ads show questions about payment are a leading concern, followed by those about what level of Russian is required.
But there is no indication that the soldiers are being sent as part of a state-sponsored initiative by Beijing. Many recruits don't have any military experience.
In an April 9 video posted on Zelenskyy's social media channels, one of the captured Chinese men says he had never been in combat before enlisting and had never even held a weapon until he traveled to Russia for training.
Others say they signed up looking for battlefield experience.
In an interview posted last month on YouTube, Chinese journalist Chai Jing spoke with a Chinese national while he was on the front lines with Russian forces.
The mercenary identified himself with his call sign, explaining how and why he enlisted. He said he joined Russian forces in late 2023 after flying to Russia on a tourist visa. He described being part of an "assault team" near the front in eastern Ukraine and shared videos that appeared to show him in Bakhmut during the bloody battles that left the town destroyed.
He also described difficulties he and other foreign soldiers faced in their Russian units, including language barriers and racism.
The fighter said he was previously in the Chinese military and that money influenced his decision to sign up, but he said he was also driven by wanting to experience war.
He's since catalogued his time fighting in Ukraine on Chinese social media platforms.
"I realized I might die here one day, so I decided to share some real experiences since China's people haven't been through a war for a long time," he said.
What's Beijing's Reaction To Chinese Mercenaries In Ukraine?
China is Russia's closest partner, and Western officials say it has played an important role in propping up Russia economically throughout the war.
But China has refrained from sending military aid, and China's Foreign Ministry also said it tells its citizens to stay away from war and that the idea that large numbers are fighting is "totally unfounded."
Zelenskyy himself has stopped short of saying the Chinese government authorized the mercenaries' involvement in Ukraine, but he has accused Beijing of turning a blind eye to Russia's recruitment of its citizens.
And there's some indication Chinese authorities haven't made a concerted effort to stop them.
The Chinese Internet is heavily censored, and social media is closely monitored and controlled, yet many of these recruitment posts -- some of which are months old -- are still online and being shared.
