Ukraine says it has arrested a Chinese father and son on suspicion of spying on its Neptune anti-ship missile programme, a key part of Kyiv\u2019s growing domestic arms industry that is critical to its defence against Russian forces.<\/p>\n
The announcement by Ukraine\u2019s security service (SBU) follows assertions by Kyiv in recent months that Beijing, which has sought to project an image of neutrality, is helping the Kremlin\u2019s war effort.<\/p>\n
Counterintelligence officials arrested a 24-year-old former student in Kyiv after they provided him with \u201ctechnical documentation\u201d related to Neptune production, the SBU said in a statement on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
A pixillated image of the younger Chinese national detained in Kyiv. Photograph: Ukrainian Security Service\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
They later detained his father, who had aimed to smuggle out the documents to the Chinese special services, the agency said. The father had been living in China<\/a> but visited Ukraine to \u201cpersonally coordinate\u201d his son\u2019s work, it added.<\/p>\n A Ukrainian official told Reuters the two men were the first Chinese people arrested for spying since Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion in 2022.<\/p>\n China\u2019s foreign ministry on Thursday said it was \u201cstill verifying the relevant information\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Chinese citizens are involved, we will safeguard their legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the law,\u201d a ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, told a regular press conference when asked about the arrests.<\/p>\n A lawyer for the men could not immediately be reached.<\/p>\n Ukraine\u2019s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has accused China of supplying weapons and gunpowder to Russia, and has imposed sanctions against Chinese firms Kyiv believes are aiding Moscow\u2019s war machine, including by providing components for drones.<\/p>\n He has also said Ukrainian forces have captured Chinese nationals fighting for Russia on the battlefield.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Sign up to Headlines Europe<\/p>\n A digest of the morning’s main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: <\/strong>Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Though Beijing is an ally of Moscow, it has aimed to cast itself as a peacemaker in the war and says it has not armed either party. In May, China\u2019s president, Xi Jinping, travelled to Moscow for a pomp-filled visit that included talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n Ukraine\u2019s Neptune missile was used to destroy the flagship of Russia\u2019s Black Sea fleet in the first months of the war. It has since been fired at other targets including Russian oil terminals.<\/p>\n