China¡¯s covert military training of Russian forces last year was personally approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin¡¯s defense minister and directly involved at least four Russian and Chinese generals, according to documents and two European officials.
The officials said the involvement of such high-ranking individuals in training linked to the Ukraine war signaled the importance for Russia and China of such cooperation, which has caused alarm in Europe even as Beijing denies ?it took place.
A classified Russian document directly referred to an internal decree issued by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in August 2025.
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