The Russian Pacific Fleet and the Myanmar (formerly Burma) navy begin security exercises off the Burmese coast this Tuesday that will last until Thursday, according to local media.
The two armies brought together ships and aircraft for the first joint naval exercises in the two countries’ recent history, simulating “air, water and underwater danger prevention and maritime security measures,” according to Myanmar’s Global New Light newspaper. .
Ahead of the exercise, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Nikolai Yevmenov met with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing on Monday aboard a Russian destroyer and briefed him on the ship’s capabilities, local media reported today.
The visit comes as fighting rages in northern Myanmar, near the border with China, following a coordinated offensive by ethnic minority groups last week.
This conflict represents the biggest threat to the military since the February 2021 coup that toppled leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s government.
Moscow has been a valuable ally to the junta, providing it with weapons and diplomatic support.
Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing met Russian President Vladimir Putin last year during one of his many trips to Russia since taking power.
The Burmese army called Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine justified.
In September, Myanmar and Russia jointly chaired an “anti-terrorist” military exercise in the Russian Far East involving several Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.
Since taking power, the junta has imported $406 million (€379 million) worth of weapons and equipment from Russia, according to the United Nations special rapporteur on Myanmar.
Source: TSF
