What happened
Myanmar's military has been bombing civilians using imported aircraft, including Russian MiG-29, Yak-130, and Su-30SME jets, as well as Chinese K-8/K-8W and FTC-2000G jets and Y-8 transport aircraft.
A September 28 airstrike on a market in Kyauktaw, an Arakan Army stronghold in Rakhine State, killed 50 people and wounded 58, according to aid workers. The junta relies on foreign suppliers for spare parts, maintenance, and fuel, with Iran becoming the main supplier of jet fuel and urea, a fertilizer used to manufacture munitions.
Investigations have found that the junta concealed fuel purchases, falsely declaring them as South African diesel, and that Iran earned an estimated $123 million from fuel shipments between October 2024 and December 2025.
The UN Human Rights Office reported that at least 982 civilians were killed in junta airstrikes in 2025, including 232 children, with the death toll more than 50% higher than in 2024.
