Ukraine says two Chinese men have been caught fighting alongside Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked his top diplomat to make contact with Beijing (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)

The Ukrainian military has captured two Chinese men fighting alongside the Russian army in the eastern Donetsk region and has information that “significantly more” are with Russian forces, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday.

There was no immediate comment from China. Beijing is not known to have provided Russia with weapons or military expertise, and it was not clear whether the Chinese had joined the fight on their own initiative.