SW News: Since the coup in Myanmar two years ago, China, Russia, and Serbia (a Russian ally) have continued to send weapons that the junta has used against civilians, with the most recent attack taking place on April 11, when jets and helicopters bombarded the opening ceremony for a public administration building in Pa Zi Gyi village in Sagaing region resulting in almost 200 casualties.

It was the most recent example of the junta's increasing dependence on air power as ground successes against armed rebel groups stalled. According to Acled (Armed War Location and Event Data Project) information collected by the BBC, at least 600 military air assaults occurred between February 2021 and January 2023. The increased employment of Russian and Chinese aircraft by the junta to target opposition-held regions has resulted in a significant increase in civilian deaths.

Myanmar's special human rights rapporteur, Tom Andrews, revealed that the Myanmar Air Force had at least seven JF-17 aircraft commissioned and equipped with Chinese missiles in September 2021 and that the junta had commissioned four Chinese fighter jets and four transport planes in December 2021.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the value of Chinese exports to Myanmar in 2022 will be almost twice that of the previous year.

Russia has long been an ally and key weapons supplier to Myanmar for both political and commercial reasons. According to SIPRI data, Russia's exports to Myanmar were more than twice as high in 2022 as China's.

According to SIPRI data, Russian exports to Myanmar will be more than twice as high as Chinese exports in 2022. For many years, Russia has been Myanmar's friend and primary arms supplier, contributing to the country's security and economy.

Meanwhile, Myanmar Witness, a human rights NGO, discovered that Russian-made Mi-35 assault helicopters were employed in the majority of junta strikes in the last six months of 2022, according to AsiaNews.

In June 2021, a Myanmar delegation visited Russia to examine the manufacturing of the Panstir S-1 missile defense system. Later that month, a Russian official said that Myanmar was included in a €2 billion ($2.2 billion) military supply arrangement, and in December, six further Yak-130 aircraft were authorized for shipment.