Inside China’s Embassy in Kyiv as War Broke Out

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The two following essays were published on the WeChat blog 永久的心路 on 26 and 28 April 2026, respectively. They remain accessible on May 1, 2026. This translation and publication have NOT been authorized by their author or anyone else.The author is apparently Ding Jianwei, at the time Counselor and Spokesman of the Chinese Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine. Ding is apparently now retired. —— Zichen Wang基辅亲历:俄乌冲突爆发前夜Kyiv Firsthand: The Eve of the Russia–Ukraine ConflictFrom October 2021 onward, reports began to circulate that Russian forces were preparing a large-scale offensive against Ukraine. Our embassy, too, continued to gather and assess relevant developments through various channels. In late November, the embassy convened a dedicated DW [Translator’s Note: abbreviation for Party Committee/“DangWei”] meeting to assess the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine. In preparation for the extreme scenario of a full deterioration of the situation, we drew up in advance the embassy’s complete set of emergency-response and consular-protection plans: personnel responsibilities were clarified, posts and duties were fixed, and coordination mechanisms were refined. The meeting also required the logistics team to stockpile meat, vegetables, and other daily necessities early, preparing for contingencies before they arose.At the time, Military Attaché X and I had been following the situation closely from different vantage points. Taking into account a series of abnormal Russian military deployments, we were among the first to reach the judgment that “Russia’s actions were by no means rou…