Myanmar’s Military Leader Heads to Russia for Official Visit
Russia will be the fifth country former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has visited since becoming president in April.
Myanmar's junta leader and now president, Min Aung Hlaing, embarked on a visit to Russia on Monday, marking his first official trip to the country since taking office in April. This marks the fifth nation Min Aung Hlaing has visited since assuming the presidency, following trips to India, China, Laos, and most recently, Thailand.
The former general has been under scrutiny from the West due to his country's military-backed leadership and has been pursuing international legitimacy since winning an election that saw a predominantly army-backed party in power.
Throughout his military tenure, Min Aung Hlaing has made four visits to Russia, with his inaugural visit occurring in June 2021 for a security conference, just five months after his coup. He returned twice in 2022 and again in March 2025 for formal discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The visit holds significance as Russia aims to explore potential energy collaborations in Myanmar.
The two nations inked a deal in 2025 to construct a small-scale nuclear power plant in Myanmar and signed a memorandum of investment cooperation in February 2025 for the Dawei Special Economic Zone, which includes the development of a port and an oil refinery.
Min Aung Hlaing's latest trip includes a Myanmar-Russia business forum, with the Tanintharyi region's chief minister and the head of Myanmar's aerospace agency set to attend. Defense ties between the two nations have strengthened, with Moscow providing military training and scholarships to thousands of Myanmar soldiers. Russia has also sold arms to the military, which is currently blacklisted by several Western countries.
In a bid to bolster its ties further, Russia plans to help train Myanmar's first cosmonaut. However, this visit comes amidst Western sanctions imposed on Min Aung Hlaing and his country, with Russia's Prosecutor General's Office classifying The Moscow Times as an undesirable organization, potentially leading to criminal charges against its staff.
Written by urgent.news from The Moscow Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
