BRUSSELS, Belgium: China secretly trained Russian troops last year, and this was personally approved by Russia's defense minister, Vladimir Putin's close ally, according to two European officials and documents seen by Reuters.

The training also involved at least four senior generals from both countries.

Officials said the involvement of such high-ranking leaders shows how important this cooperation is for both Russia and China. It has raised concerns in Europe, even though China has denied that any such training took place.

A classified Russian document seen by Reuters referred to an internal order issued by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in August 2025. It said that, following his decision, a group of Russian soldiers traveled to China to take part in training at facilities run by the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

One report described a three-week training session held in Beijing in November, focused on protection against radiological, chemical, and biological threats. The documents also included images of Russian soldiers being taught by Chinese instructors, studying a model nuclear reactor, and learning about chemical and radiation detection and how to protect systems from contamination.

A European official said that training in these sensitive areas shows the strategic importance of the cooperation.

The defense ministries of both Russia and China did not respond to requests for comment. China's foreign ministry said the claims were "completely unfounded" and repeated that Beijing's position on the Ukraine war has been consistent.

China says it is neutral in the conflict and presents itself as a possible peace mediator.

Last month, Reuters reported, citing European intelligence and military documents, that about 200 Russian soldiers were trained in China in November, and some of them later joined the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin rejected the report, calling it false information.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on June 15 that the EU had confirmed through its own sources that the training happened and is now studying its impact. China dismissed her comments as baseless.

European countries, which see Russia as a major security threat since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, are increasingly concerned about closer ties between Moscow and Beijing. China is also the world's second-largest economy and an important trade partner for the EU.

Within the EU, officials are now debating whether to take further action in response to the training, while also considering their economic relationship with China.

The EU has already imposed sanctions on some Chinese companies it says are helping Russia's war effort.

Another EU official said the bloc should stop focusing mainly on economic ties with China and instead pay more attention to what Kallas described as China's role as a "key supporter" of Russia's war.

The two European officials said Russian Major General Rustam Khusainov and Chinese Senior Colonel Sun Dayun signed a July 2 agreement linked to the training.

However, Andrei Kartapolov, a senior Russian lawmaker who leads the parliament's defense committee, dismissed the report as "complete nonsense," saying Russia's military has nothing to learn from China.