Three years into the Russia-Ukraine war,
we have reached a critical moment.
The situation is turbulent,
and its outcome could significantly
reshape the global order.
Chinese citizens are present on this battlefield
some are fighting for Russia,
some are fighting for Russia,
In recent episodes, I’ve interviewed people from both sides
to understand their differing positions and values
and also to get a glimpse—through their eyes
—of what is happening deep inside the war zones
that are difficult
for journalists to access.
In today’s episode,
I speak with a Chinese citizen
fighting in the Russian army—"Macaron"
—interviewed from a frontline underground bunker.
Many people...
hear gunshots？
Are those gunshots?
Are you at the front line?
Yes, because there's a drone sometimes flying over,
and we just shoot it down.
I know you're in a special location now,
so within what you're allowed to say,
can you tell us roughly where you are?
It’s fine,
I can say directly:
Bakhmut.
Our Russian troops
began attacking here in
August 2022
2022
and captured the city by May 2023.
But fighting in the surrounding
suburbs has remained intense.
What is your role in this?
I’m an assault team member.
Assault team.
And what does your team do?
We push forward and infiltrate enemy positions.
We're only
a few kilometers
from the conflict zone
—the nearest is about just 5 or 6 kilometers.
When you refer to ‘us’ and ‘the enemy’,
are you ready
for the controversy this might stir up,
including criticism of you
after this video was released?
I think that's fine.
Since I chose this path.
I realized
I might die
here one day.
So I decided
to share some real experiences.
Since our country,
Chinese people haven’t been through war for a long time
I want to show
what a regular soldier,
especially a foreign one,
really goes through in war.
What message do you want to send to the Chinese people?
I hope China continues playing a stable role
refraining from starting
or joining wars.
Many people watch
exaggerated war dramas
like Wolf Warrior
or Drawing Sword
and feel
excited,
but the real battlefield is brutal,
like hell.
Macaron himself used to watch Wolf Warrior and Drawing Sword.
He was born in 1995
in Shandong Province.
He served in the Chinese military
and when the outbreak of the Russia-Ukrainian war,
he was a team-building instructor.
On February 24, 2022,
Putin announced a “special military operation” against Ukraine.
President Zelensky responded:
On March 2, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution
condemning Russia’s invasion
141 countries supported it,
5 opposed,
and China abstained.
In November 2023,
Macaron entered Russia on a tourist visa and enlisted.
Since no one invited you to this war,
no one forced you,
and it isn’t your war
why did you decide to join it?
Actually, there are many reasons.
First of all,
money played a part
—though not the decisive one.
The pay isn't
particularly high.
Another reason is
that I used to be a soldier myself.
In China, I never experienced war,
so I didn’t know what it was really like.
I had always wanted to go to France
and join the French Foreign Legion.
That was my plan at the time.
But getting a visa was always a hassle.
European visas(Schengen visa)
aren't easy to obtain.
If, back then, it had been
just as easy to get a visa to Ukraine,
would you have gone there instead?
Hypothetically,
yes. It’s possible.
I think it’s entirely possible.
I believe there are many Chinese people
here in Russia’s forces
—at least a few hundred.
On the Ukrainian side, there are also some,
but their numbers are very few.
I think that has a lot to do with the visa situation.
Another reason might be that many people
believe helping Russia is helping China.
According to a report by Phoenix TV journalist Lu Yiguang,
the first Chinese mercenary killed in action while fighting for Russia was named Zhao Rui.
He reportedly joined the war
because he’d heard he could go fight against the Japanese and the Eight-Nation Alliance.
It’s unclear
whether Zhao Rui knew
that Russia was one of the Eight-Nation Alliance members back then.
Chinese mercenaries often use more general patriotic rhetoric—saying things like
“If Russia falls, China is next,”
or expressing opposition to NATO’s eastward expansion,
and firmly believing they’re on the winning side.
（A selfie video by Sun Liqi, a Chinese citizen who claims to have fought in the Russian army.）All of you, listen to my command,
Comrades, greetings!
Comrades, your hard work is appreciated!
Send us into battle first, and victory will be ours!
Ok? Ok!
However, Chinese nationalist
sentiment toward Russia is complicated.
After the war began,
a list showing
the timeline of Russian occupations of Chinese territory
went viral on social media.
People were asking: Isn’t Russia doing the same thing
Japan did when it invaded and created puppet Manchukuo?
Many Chinese fighters
feel they must
defend themselves.
(The Warden, a self-proclaimed Chinese soldier on the Russian front lien on Blibli website) People ask me why I’m doing this.
First of all, who pays me? Who feeds me? Will you give me food when I go home?
Right？
Honestly, whoever gives you milk is your mother. It’s that simple.
If I can’t even afford to eat, what dreams are you talking about?
(Video filmed by Macaron)
Chinese mercenaries often post military life and training videos
on social media to gain traffic
（Title: Chinese fighting for Russia: money, excitement, and becoming influencer）—some even sell products while at war
Many are deep in debt
and come here
with nothing to lose.
Some just come for that one chance.
Maybe they think, 'If I die, so be it.'
A lot of men are
drawn to the battlefield.
I get countless DMs.
Too many
I don't reply to those messages.
I used to try talking people out of it.
Now I don’t bother
—there are too many.
They mentioned the poor domestic employment environment,
debt and other reasons.
What’s your pay like?
Just average.
About 15,000 RMB(about $2050 or €1850.)
per month.
But with
poor local purchasing power,
it feels like earning 2,500 RMB
in China.
And the risk is so high,
it’s not worth it.
I’ve worked over 365 days straight
—no breaks,
no rest.
Just danger.
And
No freedom.
In June 2023,
Ukraine launched a counteroffensive
in the southeast.
This was a critical moment in the war.
A year earlier,
Russia had faced backlash
for domestic mobilization
and switched strategies
—using bonuses and masculinity to recruit.
Macaron didn’t speak Russian
when
he first joined a pro-Russian militia in Donbas.
In May 2024,
he signed a contract
with Russia’s Ministry of Defense.
In Battle of Bakhmut,
the regular army handled artillery
and perimeter fighting,
while Wagner Group,
especially
its recruited prisoners,
led deadly assaults.
Macaron didn’t know this
when he first joined the Rostov training camp.
Some people might hear that and think,
'Aren’t you just being used as a scapegoat or a pawn?
And to put it bluntly, yes, that’s kind of the case.
Why would I go to someone else’s country just to be cannon fodder?
Before I came, I didn’t even know they saw me that way.
From the moment I arrived,
there was serious racism
—against Blacks,
Chinese.
Why should I sacrifice myself for someone who looks down on me.
This Russian commander
was insulting these Black people,
using really
offensive racial slurs.
He said things about Arabs, about Chinese people.
He said,
'Now it’s war.
After the war is over,
I’ll kill all of you.
You shouldn’t go back alive.'
This is
the harsh reality.
Wait, who he said he will kill?
He said he would kill us.
I don’t know if he was joking
or if these words came from
deep-rooted hatred.
I really don’t know.
Even the
interpreter quit.
He is also an Arab.
He is Egyptian.
He said he quit.
I think this commander is absolutely disgusting.
He told me all this,
and I said so at the time.
I told them
I wanted to leave
and terminate the contract
—but they said
I couldn’t.”
Macarron had read
in the contract with translation APP
that it could be ended
within 3 months,
but when he made the request,
this was denied.
Macron had no choice to back out.
He was issued a weapon
—a nearly 80-year-old rifle.
(Video filmed by Macaron)Yesterday,
the commander gave me a gun too, a machine gun.
I’m not sure what model it was,
but when I checked
the manufacturing year on it: the gun was from 1948
—older than New China.
When I saw this ancient relic,
I thought, ‘How can this even fight?’
My heart sank.
Let me show you my gun now
—oh, right,
I forgot to tell you its story.
Look here, at the bottom:
four notches.
You know what those mean?
Four ‘soul rings.’
When they handed it to me.
I said, ‘This piece of junk is too old.
I don’t want it.’
But they forced it on me.
I refused, saying I wouldn’t use broken gear.
They insisted, ‘This is something you must have.’
They told me four men had
already died carrying this gun
—sacrificed.
That’s why it’s marked with
four lines.
How they died?
I don’t know.
Macron used his own salary to buy a helmet,
body armor, and other gear.
But when he went to the hospital,
he was dragged straight to the front
—without his equipment.
On the battlefield,
the things you need to survive…
they didn’t give them to me.
Instead, they handed me scavenged gear from dead soldiers:
battered,
helmets with holes.
‘Fight with this,’
they said.
Why they withhold the gear
he paid for?
I think they just
didn’t care.
In war,
men are shipped in batches,
then shipped out.
No one cares about
your equipment.
Yes.
So, from your perspective,
they didn’t value your life?
Yeah, you could say that.
We were assault troops,
the attacking side.
Casualties were massive.
Most who went didn’t come back.
What do you think the probability of death is?
Well.
Based on my experience,
for every Ukrainian killed,
we lost three
to six men.
Something like that.
Sun Ruiqi, the one who shouted ‘Send us into battle first, and victory will be ours!’
finally made it to the front.
I checked his social media:
he documented
an older soldier in their unit
whose only ‘gear’ was a plastic bag
with a change of clothes.
When he asked why,
others said
even the soldier
himself expected
to die soon.
Two weeks later,
that soldier disappeared.
No one even asked his fate.
Macron filmed supply conditions
at the front.
He often used candles or gas to heat noodles.
Rice was scarce;
bread sacks were gnawed by rats.
Russian soldiers brawled,
sometimes even exchanged gunfire over supplies.
Holiday ‘gifts’ like chocolate,
sausages, tea, or coffee?
After Macron posed for photos with them,
they were taken back.
Either
give the food to me or don’t.
Either don't take pictures of me,
or don't give them to me at all.
Why fake it?
Why?
This happened often.
Sounds like some kind of corruption?
Maybe.
In the military,
especially in war.
commanders hold absolute power.
A soldier’s life?...is...
Insignificant.
Meanwhile,
in the southern sector,
Zhou Zhiqiang and Zhao Rui recorded their first frontline experience
as infantry on November 11, 2023.
The Russians don’t even see us as human
—we’re just cannon fodder, no different from suicide troops.
They sent us to storm the trenches,
and after we took them, they didn’t send a single reinforcement.
We suffered heavy losses—dozens of men,
and in the end, only six or seven
came out unharmed."
From November 18 onward,
they were surrounded by Ukrainian forces.
This is Zhao Rui's footage.
Day 3 trapped:
Day 3 trapped,
A wounded man left to die.
No evacuation.
Waiting to die here.
Day 4:
Last night, we tried to get the wounded out under cover of darkness.
Failed. Mounted a breakout attempt – nothing worked.
Day 5:
Last night,
Ukrainian night raid hit us hard.
So few of us left now...
so few.
We can't hold much longer.
Day 6:
Their armor rolled up
last night
– tanks and IFVs right outside our position.
Must've missed us
in the dark.
Their rounds hit the building next door...
so close, so close.
November 24 – After six days trapped,
they finally got out.
A whole truckload
of men came in...
you can count the survivors
on one hand.
Still think you want to come now?
In a text,
Macron told me:
‘On average,
a soldier lasts
3 days in the kill zone.
During a night raid,
I carried 10 mags,
10 ammo packs,
and 5 grenades.
We launched the assault at midnight,
right along the contact line.
Then all hell broke loose
—Artillery from both sides pounded along the contact line
—even our own mortars
hit us.
It was… indescribable.
How do I put this?... It was a fucking massacre.
And the body armor he received,
is two rusty iron plates.
Great stuff
—two 'bulletproof'
steel plates,
freshly ripped off from someone—The dead.
They were a bit heavy,
but hey, better than nothing.
To get back the helmet and protective gear he needed to survive.
Macron filed a complaint with Russian military police.
The resule came out quickly.
Hey, it’s Macrron.
The fucking Russian locked me
in here,
can’t even lift my head.
Just checking in.
It is day 11.
All good,
many people tring to help me.
For insubordination,
For insubordination,
Macrron was thrown into a ‘hole’:
a 3–4 sqm
iron-barred pit.
Prisoners couldn’t stand.
One toilet break daily.
Independent Russian media Important Stories
verified these punishment pits
via satellite images and witnesses.
Two other Russians were jailed
with Macrron.
Why resort to such methods to punish soldiers?
The other two
simply refused to fight
--
you know how Russian forces
keep pushing forward
aggressively,
while the Ukrainians are mostly holding defensive positions.
Those two wouldn't push forward,
they only wanted to defend.
They couldn't bring themselves to kill people.
What happend to those two?
Yeah...
Then...
One…
I can’t
talk about what happened.
You know...
These...
But...
It’s too dark.
You know...
The consequences are unbearable…
For safety,
I’ve omitted details.
What’s clear:
neither Russian soldier recanted.
neither Russian soldier recanted.
After 21 days,
Macron escaped
during a toilet
run—jumping from a 3rd-floor
ruin to another Russian unit.
He demanded transfer, separated from the original commander.
If he takes the opportunity to retaliate against you,
or...
Oh, he retaliated.
Beat me
...
twice.
Not that I couldn’t fight back
—but he had a gun.
After that,
any sense of military honor
was gone.
It's true.
Ever since I was first released from that underground prison,
I lost nearly all will to fight.
I risked my life for you,
and you threw me into a dungeon
– treated me like that.
Where's the respect in that?
Did you ever think about
just leaving the war
entirely?
Going home?
But there was no way.
I don’t believe the Chinese embassy would help me.
Right at that moment,
Sun Ruiqi, the one who had once vowed, "Send us into battle first, and victory will be ours"
—finally made it to the frontlines.
Not long after,
he became a trending topic again.
I walked 40 minutes in snow to get signal. I contacted the Chinese embassy,
Chinese embassy says they ‘won’t interfere’ because it's a personal behavior.
Please help me contact the Foreign Ministry—I need to terminate my contract,
I need to go back to China. No medical care here. I’ll die.
Perhaps the embassy had their reasons
—they likely saw this as purely individual actions,
unsanctioned by the Government.
unsanctioned by the Government.
So they couldn’t intervene.
Honestly,
some of the stuff in movies like Wolf Warrior...
it’s pure fantasy.
That whole idea of a Chinese passport being a ‘golden ticket to safety,
what do you call this, this call China is awsome.
We as a Chinese citizen,
joined this war voluntarily,
but look at the Indians
You know...
You know...
—they had plenty of contractors here too.
Then the Indian Prime Ministe Modi came,
had one talk with Putin,
and suddenly all of them got their contracts terminated
and were sent home.
BBC's report corroborated Macron's account.
After an Indian soldier suffered heavy casualties
and appealed for help via video.
In July 2024,
Indian Prime Minister Modi visited Moscow
and raised the issue with Putin. what do you call this, this call China is awsome.
Two months later,
over 90 Indian contract soldiers were released and repatriated.
But for the Chinese contractors,
the so-called "warden" who famously said "he who feeds me is my master"
found himself unable to leave even after his contract had expired.
Our boss has talked to me about ite said, "Your contract will only end after we achieve victory in this war."
What's more, they plan to transfer me to command the most feared unit in Storm-Z - the Black Mambas.
What kind of nonsense is this? I'm at a loss for words.
Well, if I have to lead them, so be it. If the contract isn't over, I'll keep fighting
it's not like I'm afraid to do my job. I won't disgrace myself by deserting.
here were two under my command who ran away - we're hunting them down with everything we've got.
If caught, they'll be executed without question.
As for me? I'll carry on. We have fighting spirit,
damn it.
Soon after,
the Warden’s Douyin posted
his ‘KIA’ notice,
calling him
a ‘heroic internationalist.’
The IP of this video is from Henan, China,
claimed the video is posted by his assistant.
His fans had barely finished mourning
when a livestream suddenly
announced the "Warden" had miraculously resurrected.
The broadcast claimed he was "a master tactician
who'd studied ancient military classics",
executing a "brilliant tactical withdrawal" to Moscow.
Sun Ruiqi also claimed he tactical retreat and back to China.
About how they went back to China?
There is limited infomation I can see online.
According to foreign media reports,
some mercenaries have resorted to self-inflicted gunshot wounds to get evacuated from the battlefield,
while others have bribed their way out.,
but escape is near impossible.
Is it even possible to truly escape on your own? Say, just abandoning the battlefield and walking away alone—could that work?
Say, just abandoning the battlefield
and walking away alone
—could that work?
No. The area is locked down.
Let say...
Here...
if you get shot,
no one will cares...
No law here.
No morality.
No such thing exsit here
I think.
Our interviews were often interrupted by Russian soldiers.
Fighting in a foreign army, with language barrier,
I can feel that Macron
was perpetually tense.
This place isn't built for foreigners.
For example, when shells are incoming,
you wouldn’t even understand the command
to hit the ground...
If they tell you to go left,
you might go right
- see what I mean? You become a major liability
due to the language barrier.
Once when I came back from using the toilet,
I saw something
on the ground
What's it?
- a wire, or what looked like part of a wire.
If I had triggered it,
I would've been dead for sure.
Turns out it was a landmine.
Luckily
I didn't run into it.
The landmine!
So I went back inside and asked them:
"Why didn't anyone tell me
there are mines outside?
Why wasn't I warned?"
Except for whoever planted it,
did none of the teammates know?
Maybe others did know,
but they're probably already dead.
The management here is completely chaotic.
Can I say it like that?
Yes. It is.
War is chaos.
In the southern sector,
Zhou Zhixiang described similar chaos.
During a trench battle,
his teammate
- a Nepalese mercenary
- kept firing his submachine gun wildly,
killing his own comrades,
then abandoned the wounded and fled,
only to step on a landmine.
In the trenches, Zhou encountered a Ukrainian soldier
he called "grandpa,"
who dropped his gun
(with the safety still on) and ran
when they came face-to-face.
As of October 2024, U.S. Defense Department reports indicate
over 600,000 Russian casualties.
But Ukraine's resistance and counteroffensives
have also come at heavy cost
- Zelensky stated in August
that year that Ukraine had 43,000 soldiers killed
and 370,000 wounded.
Last night we took a position by force,
and the commander rewarded us
with some chicken soup.
Don't let our shitty equipment fool you
- we fight hard.
Both sides suffered heavy losses last nigh,
some details are too graphic to describe.
Before choosing someone as your enemy,
did you ever ask:
Is he truly an enemy? Or a victim?
Honestly,
from Ukraine's perspective,
we are indeed the aggressors
- we attacked their soldiers
- we attacked their soldiers
and occupied their land.
From Russia's view,
it's about
protecting Donbas
and preventing NATO expansion.
Personally, I have no stance.
Personally, I have no stance.
Choosing sides means
deciding who your enemy is,
or what values you're defending.
For me, it's not about values
- just a job.
Macron, do you realize
your job largely involves killing?
As attackers,
As attackers,
often the enemy spots us first
with drones before we even get close.
with drones before we even get close.
Then artillery.
By the time we see them
face-to-face,
face-to-face,
it's rare
- most times it's suicide drones or artillery.
- most times it's suicide drones or artillery.
I think your answer is a bit evasive.
You know they exist
and you'll face them,
right?
Yes, under certain circumstances I will face them.
When aiming at a real person,
When aiming at a real person,
did you ever question
if it's right?
In combat, seconds decide
life or death
- no time for such thoughts.
- no time for such thoughts.
What I think about most is surviving this brutal war.
What I think about most is surviving this brutal war.
Is it no time to think,
or fear that reflection will make you weak
and endanger survival?
Both.
When I hesitate or get emotional,
When I hesitate or get emotional,
When I hesitate or get emotional,
I become vulnerable
- could end up like them(people who get killed).
So I gradually became numb.
I am very numb now.
Bakhmut, where Macron fought,
saw the longest, bloodiest battles.
saw the longest, bloodiest battles.
This once 70,000-strong city
- its schools, hospitals, churches - now lies in ruins.
Stray cats and dogs wander homeless.
My cat's,
she is close to me
- follows me on patrol,
- follows me on patrol,
looks so happy when she sees me.
When I have time, I feed her some canned food
- here's a big one.
Sometimes at night she comes to sleep with me.
It's nice.
Look here - her fur's all singed off.
Got burned on the stove, poor thing.
You're in someone's home,
destroying their city.
destroying their city.
You care for cats
- I think you feel for people too?
- I think you feel for people too?
Recently
on The red book (Xiaohongshu),
on The red book (Xiaohongshu),
on The red book (Xiaohongshu),
I saw a Ukrainian's post:
I saw a Ukrainian's post:
I saw a Ukrainian's post:
My family lived in Bakhmut
My family lived in Bakhmut
for generations, but war forced me out.
for generations, but war forced me out.
for generations, but war forced me out.
for generations, but war forced me out.
I replied:
I'm here now.
Where was your home?
Already rubble, he said.
Yes, that's war.
Yes, that's war.
I know,
but there is no solution for this.
I wish we could be friends
I wish we could be friends
- if this was my hometown,
destroyed,
If my house was occupied by the enemy.
I would also be very sad,
which is human nature.
I'd be devastated too.
I can only offer hollow comfort,
trying to convince myself 'this is just war.'
Macron, I feel like there are two selves fighting each other deep inside you.
Yes, as a soldier in this faction,
I have to operate by their rules.
But at the same time, I've got my own thoughts
and realizations about all this.
And let's be honest
- I've been treated unfairly and unkindly by the Russians too.
So yeah, I'm definitely feeling conflicted
and complicated about everything.
Yes.
Between battles, Macron mostly just sits in the darkness,
Between battles, Macron mostly just sits in the darkness,
listening to the endless firecrackers of war.
Before coming to Russia to fight,
he'd cut ties with his parents
and broken up with his girlfriend.
In this past year and a half,
nearly all the foreign soldiers he'd known in training camp have been killed.
Some of those still alive
are showing signs of mental breakdown.
There was this red-bearded Russian guy
There was this red-bearded Russian guy
who just disappeared one day.
Look at this fucking place,
everyone's mentally messed up these days.
(Teammates freaking out and yelling hysterically)
You get used to it.
People just vanish.
Plenty get wounded here too.
When they're injured and sent to hospital,
When they're injured and sent to hospital,
some secretly drink alcohol,
after a few drinks they become completely unhinged.
after a few drinks they become completely unhinged.
I think most soldiers here are like that.
Some have been fighting for over a year
- two, even three years.
They've all become a bit extreme.
Some even do drugs.
How do they get drugs on the frontlines?
I don't know,
but some definitely have their ways.
Around here, in these Ukrainian plains and cities...
well, I'm not really sure about all that.
Me, I don't usually smoke,
but when artillery shells start falling during combat,
I'll light one up to calm my nerves.
Oh old buddy.
Oh old buddy.
What are you up to?
（Explosion sound）Damn.
I can imagine how despairing
it must feel to be
trapped underground in that darkness.
Yes, damp, pitch black,
with no one to talk to for comfort.
with no one to talk to for comfort.
Honestly, it feels terrible,
but at this point I've grown numb to it.
but at this point I've grown numb to it.
Just surviving feels like a blessing sometimes.
Just surviving feels like a blessing sometimes.
Of course, if I don't make it, that's fine too,
just make it quick.
Don't torture me.
Don't torture me.
Yes, I can accept that too.
What I can't stand is being stuck between life and death,
What I can't stand is being stuck between life and death,
What I can't stand is being stuck between life and death,
when they don't kill you outright
but blow off your legs first, then your arms as you crawl.
but blow off your legs first, then your arms as you crawl.
but blow off your legs first, then your arms as you crawl.
finally...
finally...
That's war
- soldiers on both sides face this same terror.
Terrified of such suffering, Macron always carried a grenade into battle.
Prepare to attack, the last grenade is for myself.
Prepare to attack, the last grenade is for myself.
Many Chinese mercenaries have died from drone strikes.
According to Zhou Zhiqiang,
after capturing a trench,
they were hit by drone-dropped bombs.
He found Zhao Rui lying on his back,
He found Zhao Rui lying on his back,
eyes open, covered in blood.
Zhou's leg was blown off
- he played dead to survive,
crawling intermittently for six hours across one kilometer
to escape the kill zone.
The trench was littered with bodies.
The trench was littered with bodies.
The trench was littered with bodies.
I took seven hits but got lucky
I took seven hits but got lucky
- listen, don't come here.
- listen, don't come here.
Old Zhao who came with me is gone
- died with his eyes wide open.
Zhao Rui's last wish was for
a lock of his hair to be returned to his parents in Chongqing.
a lock of his hair to be returned to his parents in Chongqing.
But on the battlefield, there is no scissor,
Zhou only recovered his ID.
Zhao Rui, 38 years old,
Zhao Rui, 38 years old,
unmarried, born in Chongqing.
This was his final video message:
To those considering coming, don't.
To those considering coming, don't.
To those considering coming, don't.
To those considering coming, don't.
You can earn just as much back home.
You can earn just as much back home.
I haven't tasted hometown dishes in so long,
I haven't tasted hometown dishes in so long,
I want to go back home so much.
I want to go back home so much.
I still want to eat some...
How to put this,
when I in the front line,
I keep thinking about hometown food,
I keep dreaming about the perfect seasoning
I keep dreaming about the perfect seasoning
and cooking time for dishes, haha...
Zhao became the first confirmed Chinese casualty in this war.
Zhao became the first confirmed Chinese casualty in this war.
There are no reliable statistics on foreign fighter casualties.
Macron estimates over half of the hundred-plus Chinese have been killed or wounded.
Bombs every day.
This is the place you guys wanted to come to.
Macron personally announced four deaths,
On August 1, 2024,
20-year-old Liu Jie and her friend Liu Hongwei
were both killed in the first day of the battlefield
due to landmines and bombs.
They once claimed to be fans of macarons.
Liu Hongwei stepped on a sudden landmine, which then exploded
Liu Hongwei stepped on a sudden landmine, which then exploded
and injured his leg.
The bomber on the opposite side had five bombs.
and he was gone
Then the other short man Liu Jie was killed by two fpv (suicide drones).
Then the other short man Liu Jie was killed by two fpv (suicide drones).
Gone.
Hopefully here,
If anyone knows their families,
contact me.
I will try to communicate with the Russians here,
at least to comfort their family.
They watched your videos in China,
which may have inspired them to some extent,
or may have been a factor in their coming here.
What’s your feeling regarding these deaths?
What’s your feeling regarding these deaths?
I think my content may have misled them.
I think my content may have misled them.
I think my content may have misled them.
After I reported these two deaths,
Douyin (Tiktok in China) immediately banned my account.
Why do you think they banned you?
Probably to suppress news of Chinese casualties.
Probably to suppress news of Chinese casualties.
The fallen vanish without a trace.
Whether families received Russia's promised 5 million ruble (under 400,000 RMB) compensation
Whether families received Russia's promised 5 million ruble (under 400,000 RMB) compensation
Whether families received Russia's promised 5 million ruble (under 400,000 RMB) compensation
remains unknown, no one contact Maccron for this.
remains unknown, no one contact Maccron for this.
Phoenix TV journalist Lu Yuguang once wrote to Putin
Phoenix TV journalist Lu Yuguang once wrote to Putin
about Zhao Rui's parents receiving no notice a month after their son's death,
about Zhao Rui's parents receiving no notice a month after their son's death,
his body still on the frontline.
He hopes that Putin will take time out of his busy schedule to handle the matter
He hopes that Putin will take time out of his busy schedule to handle the matter
and give the dead a humane resting place.
How are the bodies of the fallen soldiers handled?
Regarding remains, Macron participated in recovery.
But he refuses to discuss details.
Some people did not receive the compensation.
I think it is.
Many Russians are listed as missing when no body is found.
Many Russians are listed as missing when no body is found.
It's chaotic.
It's chaotic.
If you die for your homeland,
you might be remembered
as a martyr.
I know.
Yes
Here, You disappear like a fly.
Here, You disappear like a fly.
I know.
Spiritually and in terms of values, I have nothing,
Spiritually and in terms of values, I have nothing,
Spiritually and in terms of values, I have nothing,
so I say I have no stance.
I am just an ordinary person who made a wrong choice
I am just an ordinary person who made a wrong choice
and joined the war.
I think my role is just a stupid soldier,
or cannon fodder is more appropriate.
or cannon fodder is more appropriate.
I once saw a video of Russian soldiers surrendering to a Ukrainian drone
I once saw a video of Russian soldiers surrendering to a Ukrainian drone
I once saw a video of Russian soldiers surrendering to a Ukrainian drone
and asked Macron
why he didn’t just surrender to the Ukrainians
on the battlefield and go home.
Because I’m not Russian
—it’s that simple.
If you’re Russian, some are mobilized,
If you’re Russian, some are mobilized,
just like Ukrainians
—they’re forced to fight,
even reluctant.
There’s some mutual understanding there.
But for foreign fighters like us?
They assume we came here to make money—
They assume we came here to make money—
or worse, to kill. The hostility toward us is much stronger.
or worse, to kill. The hostility toward us is much stronger.
He believes that unless the war ends,
neither the Ukrainians nor the Russians would let him leave alive.
neither the Ukrainians nor the Russians would let him leave alive.
They just won’t let you to leave this place alive.
Macron says his only hope is a ceasefire,
but with the current volatile international situation,
peace talks are progressing painfully slowly.
The day after our interview,
he told me he was finally transferred out of the assault unit and disarmed.
he told me he was finally transferred out of the assault unit and disarmed.
What do Russian soldiers think about the current situation?
Most believe the war might be ending soon.
Most believe the war might be ending soon.
Truthfully, none of them want to fight anymore
—they all want to go home.
They are all tired of the war.
They are all tired of the war.
What do you mean?
Anyone who’s actually been in war
never wants to experience it again,
nor glorify it.
I think so.
Those online who hype up war a
nd build themselves as heroes,
I find them despicable.
There are no heroes in war
—everyone is bad and being forced to kill others.
—everyone is bad and being forced to kill others.
The people you mentioned, does that include yourself?
Yes, that includes me.
I made the wrong choice joining this.
I made the wrong choice joining this.
Every inch of ground is taken with blood
Every inch of ground is taken with blood
Every inch of ground is taken with blood
—there’s nothing noble about it.
No cool,
No good,
No humanity, no morality.
No humanity, no morality.
Especially when prisoners are humiliated or tortured,
Especially when prisoners are humiliated or tortured,
Especially when prisoners are humiliated or tortured,
that crosses every line.
that crosses every line.
that crosses every line.
Really bad.
Before this video aired, Macron messaged me:
Before this video aired, Macron messaged me:
He’d been wounded evacuating casualties,
his limbs injured,
and he was evacuated to the hospital.
Yet, for the first time, his voice carried rare relief,
Yet, for the first time, his voice carried rare relief,
he said,
this is the best outcome I could hope for myself in this war.
After the war ends,
would you ever fight in another?
I just want peace.
If it ends,
I’d rather help people
than hurt them.
Haven’t we all suffered enough?
Haven’t we done enough harm?
Haven’t we done enough harm?
In that answer, I sense guilt
In that answer, I sense guilt
—despite trying to numb yourself to prevent yourself from feeling
—despite trying to numb yourself to prevent yourself from feeling
or have weak emotions,
you may also have some kind of guilt for hurting others?
you may also have some kind of guilt for hurting others?
Yes.
Although we often try to comfort and,
or deceive ourselves, even if we tell ourselves,
This is war,
This is war,
we can’t escape the reality.
Over this past year, what moment made you feel the most guilt?
what moment made you feel the most guilt?
what moment made you feel the most guilt?
what moment made you feel the most guilt?
Seeing the homes in Bakhmut
—sometimes
in Bachmut
we’d take furniture or supplies for our command post.
we’d take furniture or supplies for our command post.
we’d take furniture or supplies for our command post.
we’d take furniture or supplies for our command post.
I don't feel good about this.
I don't feel good about this.
That's someone else's stuff.
Logically, it’s abandoned,
but it’s still Ukrainian civilians’ property.
but it’s still Ukrainian civilians’ property.
Destroying it, looting it—it leaves a bitter taste.'
Destroying it, looting it—it leaves a bitter taste.'
Destroying it, looting it—it leaves a bitter taste.'
Destroying it, looting it—it leaves a bitter taste.'
In one of Macron’s videos,
he and his squad open a dust-covered piano inside a ruined house.
he and his squad open a dust-covered piano inside a ruined house.
Honestly,
Honestly,
sometimes I’ll walk through these shattered homes,
sometimes I’ll walk through these shattered homes,
looking at the wreckage,
looking at the wreckage,
looking at the wreckage,
and silently apologize to the owners.
and silently apologize to the owners.
and silently apologize to the owners.
and silently apologize to the owners.
It’s a kind of penance.
It’s a kind of penance.
It’s a kind of penance.
The destruction wasn’t my doing
—it was like this before I came
—but my side caused it,
—but my side caused it,
—but my side caused it,
and I’m part of that system.
You said that you don’t want to do things that hurt others in the future,
but to help others.
Like what for example?
In Donbas,
I’ve seen children begging at Donetsk train station.
I’ve seen children begging at Donetsk train station.
If I get the chance,
I’d help them,
even just making sure they’re fed.
That’s something.
Before this video aired,
Macron, now unable to walk,
was evacuated to a hospital.
With two months left on his contract,
With two months left on his contract,
he sent me a poem written during a sleepless, pain-filled night:
he sent me a poem written during a sleepless, pain-filled night:
I cherish this pain
- proof I still breathe.
- proof I still breathe.
Felled trees sprout new shoots,
Felled trees sprout new shoots,
Bombed buildings await engineers,
Bombed buildings await engineers,
But severed limbs and the dead
Never return.
The fallen watch us perish,
We survivors long for their revival.
- From Bakhmut,
a city erased by war.
