Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's military leader, is seeking Russian assistance to develop an aerospace industry in the country. On Sunday, the junta chief met with Roscosmos deputy director general Savelyev Sergey Valentinovich in Yangon to discuss potential cooperation in aerospace technology. These audacious plans are likely to include a major role for Roscosmos, the Russian state organization in charge of astronautic projects, space missions, and aerospace research.

Ye Win Oo, the joint secretary of the State Administration Council (SAC), the junta's ruling body, and former naval leader Moe Aung, the minister of the SAC Office, attended the meeting with Min Aung Hlaing. Both had previously received medals from the Russian Defense Ministry in March for their efforts in strengthening military cooperation. Also present were Min Aung Hlaing’s advisor Nyo Saw and junta science and technology minister Myo Thein Kyaw.

The discussions centered around fostering cooperation in aerospace technology, including sending Myanmar students to Russia for specialized studies and receiving Russian assistance for human resources development, according to junta media reports.

Russia has been providing advanced training for Myanmar military officers long before the coup. Since the coup, ties between the two countries have rapidly expanded beyond weaponry into a multisectoral partnership that now includes academia and religion. During his visits to Russia in July and September 2022, Min Aung Hlaing met with senior officials of Roscosmos and toured cosmodromes. He spoke with Dmitry Rogozin, the then-head of Roscosmos, in September 2022 on Russia's assistance in the development of Myanmar's scientific and technological manpower.

Remarkably, Russian astronauts even displayed the flags of participating nations, including Myanmar, at the International Space Station in the 7th Eastern Economic Forum in 2022. Furthermore, Min Aung Hlaing got the chance to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom he discussed cooperation in nuclear technology alongside other fields of research and technology.

In February, with Russian backing, Myanmar opened its first nuclear technology center in Yangon. Additionally, Russia and Myanmar have inked a deal for the construction of a small nuclear power station. But even after this agreement, more than a year later, blackouts have gotten worse nationwide, revealing lingering issues.

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