Russia approves draft agreement on naval ship calls to Benin

Russian Navy ship calls to Benin in recent years have often been in the form of goodwill visits in line with efforts to enhance military cooperation between the two countries.

Russian officials said that once the new agreement is finalised, future visits by naval vessels to Benin could be more regular as well as easier to organise.

The most recent reported visits by Russian Navy ships to Benin were in 2024, when the training ship Smolny, the frigate Neustrashimy, and the replenishment oiler Akademik Pashin called at the Port of Cotonou on two separate occasions.