Myanmar receives first shipment of Russia’s Su-30 fighter jets, RIA reports

According to comments made by Myanmar’s commerce minister, Charlie Than, and reported on Sunday by the Russian official news agency RIA, Myanmar has received the first cargo of two Russian Su-30 fighter planes.

“Two aircraft have already been delivered,” Than said to RIA on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, an annual conference held in Russia to foster regional economic cooperation and attract international investment. The conference begins on Sunday in the port city of Vladivostok.
According to the RIA, six Su-30SME fighter planes will be delivered under a deal signed by Russia and Myanmar in September 2022.

According to Rosoboronexport, the state-controlled weapons exporter in Russia, the Sukhoi Su-30SME multi-role fighter aircraft is built to engage enemy aerial targets, conduct aerial surveillance, use in battle, and train pilots.

Separately, Than informed the official news agency of Russia, TASS, that other bilateral agreements, including one aimed at promoting tourism between the two nations, would be inked during the East Economic Forum.

A Reuters request for comment received no immediate response from the Russian defense ministry.

The United States has warned that Russia’s support for Myanmar’s military authorities is inappropriate and destabilizing and that its armaments supply is contributing to a conflict that has become a disaster for the nation.

Min Aung Hlaing, the junta’s leader, has been to Russia several times since 2021 and has been awarded an honorary degree. The defense minister and senior diplomat of Russia have also visited Myanmar.