Russian soldiers have been actively training Myanmar’s special operations forces in the capital Naypyidaw, marking a significant escalation in the military alliance between Moscow and the regime.
The joint exercise, dubbed “Tropical Storm,” is taking place at the National Defence College in Naypyidaw from July 6 to 17. The training operation follows the signing of a pivotal five-year military cooperation agreement between Moscow and Naypyidaw earlier this year on Feb. 3.
Pyae Sone Lin, chief of the regime’s Military Training Directorate, described the exercises in a video released on July 14. He stated that the training represents the “next stage” in an “intensively strengthening” relationship between the two militaries that has deepened since the military coup on February 1, 2021.
Moscow’s growing role in Myanmar’s war
Russia has become an indispensable lifeline for the Myanmar regime as it battles widespread armed resistance across the country.
Over 19,343 clashes between regime and resistance forces, including ethnic armed organizations, occurred across Myanmar between February 2021 and June 2026, according to DVB data analysis based on the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project.
To maintain its grip on power, the regime has increasingly relied on Russian military hardware. A July 2025 ACLED report highlighted that Moscow has steadily supplied the regime with munitions, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and anti-UAV defense systems.
Furthermore, the regime recently completed the acquisition of six Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets, with the final aircraft arriving in December 2024. According to intelligence reports, Russian personnel are currently stationed in Myanmar to service and maintain the advanced jets.
A skyrocketing airstrike campaign
The influx of foreign airpower has had a devastating impact on the ground. Unable to control vast swathes of territory with ground infantry alone, the Myanmar Air Force has drastically escalated its aerial bombardment of civilian and resistance targets.
According to data tracking, airstrikes have surged more than 30-fold since the coup began:
- 2021: 90 incidents
- 2022: 312 incidents
- 2023: 656 incidents
- 2024: 1,859 incidents
- 2025: 2,871 incidents
The relentless violence has taken a catastrophic human toll. ACLED has recorded 100,114 conflict-related fatalities in Myanmar since the 2021 coup.
The crisis began when the military ousted the democratically elected National League for Democracy (NLD) administration. State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the ousted government, has been held incommunicado by the regime in Naypyidaw for over five years.
Despite mounting international pressure and global campaigns demanding “Proof of Life,” the regime has refused to allow independent verification of her health or well-being.
