Chinese Social media applauds Ukraine’s strikes on Russian Airfields, Mocking Moscow

In an unexpected show of admiration—and thinly veiled schadenfreude—thousands of Chinese internet users have praised Ukraine’s June 1st special operation, which disabled or destroyed 41 Russian strategic bombers across multiple airfields. The response, captured largely through comment sections on the Chinese political news portal Guancha and compiled by the Telegram channel “Chinese Threat”, reveals a notable shift in online Chinese sentiment: growing skepticism of Russia and quiet applause for Ukrainian innovation.

The article on Guancha reporting the strike drew more than a thousand comments, many of which were scathing toward Russia and admiring of Ukraine’s precision.

“This tactic of the Ukrainians is absolutely innovative and deserves to be studied,”

wrote one commenter—echoing dozens of similar posts that praised Ukraine’s ability to strike deep into Russian territory without using conventional aircraft.

Another user remarked:

“We are witnessing the second split of the empire. This will happen 1.5 to 3 years after the fall of Putin, and we will be ready to return what once belonged to us,”

suggesting long-standing Chinese ambitions regarding border disputes and historic claims.

Some comments veered into open mockery:

“Russians have always been warlike, but they never knew how to fight. Calling them a warrior nation is more a joke about their disorderly lifestyle, bandit nature, and their mindless existence, which only cares about food, not battle.”

Others were strategic in tone.

“A weak empire relying on Soviet-era nuclear weapons to maintain its image,” wrote one user, while another added, “The strategic weakening of Russia will benefit China.”

This response reflects a deeper trend in Chinese discourse:

growing impatience with Moscow’s failures and questions about its reliability as a long-term partner.

“Sometimes Russia’s complacency and unreliability truly make us doubt whether it can be our strategic ally.”

Several posts even drew parallels between Ukraine’s methods and potential future Chinese military scenarios. One particularly provocative comment read,

“This plan is good. Our army can use it to strike U.S. bases in Guam or Okinawa.”

Another quipped,

“What if Taiwan does the same thing?”

Some of the commentary took on a darker tone, advocating nuclear escalation or criticizing negotiations with Ukraine. But overall, the majority of top-voted remarks expressed admiration for Ukraine’s operational success and mocked Russia’s inability to defend its own territory.

One summed it up sharply:

“It’s like Pearl Harbor—but Russia was asleep in the harbor, with no alarms and no defense.”

As the West debates sanctions and arms packages, China’s online public is drawing its own conclusions—many of them deeply critical of Moscow. The political implications may be limited for now, but the cultural signal is clear: admiration for Ukrainian ingenuity is rising, while respect for Russia, even among its supposed partners, is eroding fast.