Russia And Myanmar Conclude Annual Joint Naval Exercise

Russia and Myanmar have conducted their annual joint naval exercise over two days in mid-November, training in the Andaman Sea.

Exercise Marumex-2025 focused on training in anti-submarine and anti-piracy operations, involving gunnery practice, helicopter operations, and the use of Myanmar's Kilo Class submarine as a target.

The Burmese navy deployed the Kyan Sittha Class frigates UMS Kyansitta (F12) and UMS Sinphyushin (F14), and the Anawrahta Class corvette UMS Tabinshwehti (F773). These three stealth-profile vessels were all built relatively recently in Myanmar's own Naval Dockyard. Also deployed was the Kilo Class submarine UMS Minye Theinkhathu (S71), purchased second-hand from India after refurbishment in Hindustan Shipyards, and the Makassar Class landing platform dock UMS Muttama (L1501), which was built by Dae Sun Shipbuilding in South Korea. From outward appearances based on the video released by Sputnik, all these vessels appeared to be shipshape and well-handled.

The Russian representation was from the Pacific Fleet, and consisted of the Udaloy Class frigate RFS Marshal Shaposhnikov (F543), the Gremyashchiy Class corvette RFS Gremyashchiy (F337), and the Boris Chilikin Class oiler Boris Butoma (IMO 8842557). This flotilla made port calls in made port calls Da Nang (Vietnam), Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand, and Sabang (Indonesia) en route to the exercise.

A Kamov Ka-28 Helix anti-submarine warfare helicopter was seen flying during the exercise, piloted by a dual Burmese-Russian aircrew. The Myanmar Navy is thought to have two such aircraft, for operation from their Kyan Sittha Class frigates, but the type also equips the Russian Udaloy Class frigates.

????, ??????? ????????? ????????? ??????? ?????????? ????.

???????? ??????? ????, ????????? ????????? ??????? ?????? ????????? "Marumex-2025" ?????????? ?????????? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????? ????????? ???? ????????.

???? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ??????? ???? ??????????… pic.twitter.com/DP4zpu7o2S

— Sputnik Mongolia (@sputnik_mn) November 18, 2025

The presence of the Burmese Kilo Class submarine will have provided a valuable training opportunity for both navies in anti-submarine warfare drills. A target drone was also used during the exercise in gunnery live-fire anti-aircraft drills. In comparison with joint training that the Russians carry out with other navies, for example, with that of Iran, there seems to have been a high-level ambition in the joint training objectives of the two navies.

Myanmar enjoys uneasy relations with all its neighbors, a consequence of continued military rule and a civil war that has not been going the government's way for some time. There has been an overflow of fighting across borders in jungle areas, with large sections of the Burmese border with Thailand, China, and India being controlled by a multiplicity of well-organized rebel armies such as the Kachin Independence Army and the Shan State Army. China has managed to support both the government and some rebel groups simultaneously, while Russian support for the regime has been more consistent.

Commentators in the region believe that Russia's naval diplomacy with Myanmar is based on a desire to underwrite arms sales, but also to help close commercial contracts to build a new deep-sea port and 110MW nuclear power plant at Dawei, 150 miles due west of Bangkok. Given the unstable security situation in Myanmar, this latter proposal has raised nuclear pollution concerns in Thailand.