More than one hundred Chinese citizens fighting for the Russian military against Ukraine are mercenaries who do not appear to have a direct link to China's government, two U.S. officials familiar with American intelligence and a former Western intelligence official said.

There is no proof that the Chinese nationals fighting for Russia in Ukraine are state-supported. It is no surprise, however, that they are there. Chinese fighters on both sides in Ukraine have been posting videos of their exploits on social media throughout the war.