The leader of Myanmar’s military junta, Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing, has been invited by Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend this year’s annual Victory Day Parade in Moscow, according to a statement released by the regime.
The parade, held on May 9, will this year mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany at the end of World War Two. The event is widely used by the Kremlin to project military strength and patriotic fervour.
The upcoming trip will be Min Aung Hlaing’s second to Russia so far this year. During a meeting with Putin held at the Kremlin in March, the two leaders praised the growing strategic and economic ties between their sanctioned regimes. At that meeting, the junta chief referred to Putin as a “king” and pledged full support for Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.
He also invited Russian companies to invest in Myanmar’s lucrative mining sector. Junta-aligned business leaders proposed extending extraction rights to Russian investors in areas rich in minerals and precious stones such as jade, rubies, sapphires—many of them located in active conflict zones.
During his trip to Moscow on Friday, Min Aung Hlaing will be accompanied by his wife Kyu Kyu Hla and a high-ranking delegation of military officers and ministers. The junta stated that the visit aims to “further cement strategic cooperation” in defence, energy, agriculture, and communications.
Russia has become a vital military and political ally to the Myanmar regime since it seized power in February 2021. In turn, the junta has openly supported Russia’s global posture, including its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Both countries have faced sweeping Western sanctions—Myanmar for widespread human rights abuses, and Russia for its aggressive war in Europe.
Russia continues to supply Myanmar’s military with arms, aircraft, and other technologies used in campaigns that have resulted in significant civilian casualties and displacement. Moscow’s military support has become critical to the junta, especially its air force, as it fights pro-democracy resistance forces and ethnic armed groups across the country.
Earlier this year, Mercy Chriesty Barends, chair of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, condemned Russia’s involvement in Myanmar’s civil war, calling support for the junta “not just an affront to democratic principles but a clear endorsement of a regime responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Analysts note that both Russia and Myanmar’s military regime are using their deepening ties to project legitimacy and strategic strength, as each remains isolated by much of the international community.
