Myanmar’s military has been accused of using Russian-made Yak-130 jets with ground attack capability against civilians as it tries to stamp out opposition to its rule. Myanmar Witness, a London-based group that collects evidence of rights abuses in Myanmar, says it has been able to verify open-source investigations into several cases in which unguided rockets and 23mm cannons were used in residential areas. “Myanmar Witness has verified the repeated deployment of the Yak-130 – a sophisticated, Russian-made, two-seat trainer jet with proven ground attack capability – in Myanmar,” Myanmar Witness said in its report, which was released on Friday. “During this investigation, reliable reports and geolocation revealed the use of the Yak-130 in residential, urban areas.” Among the most recent incidents, video shared on Facebook last month showed at least one Yak-130 performing two passes and firing several rounds of unguided rockets toward the ground. A second video showed at least one Yak-130 making at least five passes and firing about 18 salvos of unguided rockets. The attacks were said to have taken place south of Myawaddy township in southeastern Karen state, where ethnic armed groups have long fought for autonomy and provide training and support to militias set up to resist a February 2021 coup. The Myanmar witness geo-located the two videos and said they were shot just 200 meters from the Thai-Myanmar border. It also verified an incident in February 2022 when at least one Yak-130 was spotted participating in an operation west of Loikaw, Kayah State, also on the Thai border to the east. “The indiscriminate use of advanced attack aircraft, particularly when used in coordination with other military aircraft, stands in stark contrast to the means and methods used by those groups considered insurgents by the Myanmar military,” the report said. Myanmar was plunged into crisis in February 2021 when the army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, took power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The coup sparked mass protests and an outpouring of anger to which the military responded with violence. More than 2,000 people have been killed in the crackdown, while nearly 700,000 have been forced from their homes, according to the United Nations. Russia is a critical supplier of arms and equipment to Myanmar’s military, and Min Aung Hlaing was in Moscow earlier this month to pursue further deals. Russia delivered 12 aircraft to Myanmar between 2015 and 2019 when it was under civilian rule, but in December last year six more aircraft were discovered at Meiktila Air Base, Myanmar Witness said. In March, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom blacklisted senior military officials, including the newly appointed head of the Air Force, over the military’s escalation of violence. The sanctions also targeted those who procure and supply weapons to the air force. Human rights groups are pressing the international community to expand sanctions and embargo jet fuel sales to Myanmar over repeated military airstrikes on civilians. Myanmar must import all its aviation fuel for either civilian or military purposes.
