TikTok videos drove me to Ukraine war, claims Chinese soldier fighting for Russia

A Chinese soldier who was arrested fighting for Russia in Ukraine has claimed he was inspired by TikTok clips featuring Russian troops in a heroic manner. In a two-hour press conference, Wang Guangjun, 34, explained how he joined the war in a foreign land.

Speaking to reporters, Wang said that he was a rehab therapist in China. When he lost his job last summer, he spent even more time on the internet and watched a lot of pro-Russian videos on TikTok. According to him, those clips presented the Russian military as “flashy and cool.”

“When you are in China and have no chance of being a soldier, and you see this kind of opportunity, you feel a stirring of the heart,” Wang said. “And I came from that kind of motivation.”

Wang stated that the job promised him a supporting role in the military instead of being an active fighter, with a Russian recruiter assuring him he’d receive $2,000-$3,000 per month, the New York Post reported.

But when Wang arrived in Moscow earlier this year, things moved fast. He said his bank card and phone were confiscated, and he was sent to a military training camp. Within days, he was relocated to the border and ultimately deployed to Ukraine’s Donetsk region in February.

He was taken into custody by Ukrainian troops on April 4. Having no military background, Wang described the harsh realities of war as nothing like what he had witnessed in movies.

“Real war is completely different from what we have seen in movies and on TV,” he said.

CHINESE TRICKED BY FAKE JOB OFFERS?

Wang was not alone amongst Chinese nationals on the battlefront. Zhang Renbo, another man, claimed he was also deceived. Zhang, a Shanghai firefighter, claimed he was on holiday in December when he was given a job in a building by the state. He believed it was an opportunity to “make some money” on his break.a

But the work was not in a tranquil region — it was amidst the war. Having faith in the “friendship” between Russia and China, as portrayed in state media, Zhang accepted the offer. He was deployed to Donetsk and spent the majority of March in trenches. He and Wang were subsequently deployed to the front lines, where they were both taken captive.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky strongly denounced the presence of Chinese nationals within the Russian ranks. According to the Ukrainian government, the number of Chinese nationals fighting for Russia is more than 150.

Meanwhile, Beijing announced that it advises all citizens to avoid any armed conflict and refrain from participating in any military campaigns abroad.