Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 26, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleRussia will help select and train Myanmar's first cosmonaut after a visit by Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov. The pact adds GLONASS and space-safety sites, underscoring deeper Russia–Myanmar ties.
MOSCOW, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday it will help select and train Myanmar's first cosmonaut in a sign of growing ties with the Southeast Asian state.
The offer was made during a visit to Myanmar this week by Dmitry Bakanov, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, who signed an agreement with his Myanmar counterpart on developing cooperation in human space flight.
Roscosmos said Bakanov also met Min Aung Hlaing, head of Myanmar's military junta.
Myanmar will deploy a data-collection station for Russia's GLONASS satellite navigation system, and provide a site for a warning system to track hazardous objects in near-Earth space, Roscosmos said.
Min Aung Hlaing visited Moscow last year for talks with President Vladimir Putin, and the two countries subsequently signed an investment deal that Russia hopes will open up opportunities in Myanmar for its energy companies.
Russia has also contracted to build a small-scale nuclear plant in Myanmar, where the junta seized power in 2021 by toppling the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
(Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
Russia has agreed to help select and train Myanmar’s first cosmonaut, expanding bilateral space cooperation. The deal also includes GLONASS and space-safety infrastructure in Myanmar.
Roscosmos head Dmitry Bakanov signed the human spaceflight cooperation agreement during a visit to Myanmar and held talks with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.
Myanmar will deploy a GLONASS data-collection station and host a site for tracking hazardous near‑Earth objects, complementing broader Russia–Myanmar investment and energy ties.
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