Dawei: Myanmar’s military has launched a major offensive in the southern part of the country as it tries to regain control of territory around the long delayed Dawei Special Economic Zone, a project that has gained new importance because of growing cooperation between Myanmar and Russia.
The operation is taking place in Tanintharyi Region, where resistance groups have challenged military control since the 2021 coup. Hundreds of troops have reportedly been deployed around areas marked for the Dawei project, with the military using ground forces as well as air and naval support. Local sources have reported fighting, village destruction and the displacement of civilians as government forces attempt to secure the area.
The Dawei Special Economic Zone is planned as a major industrial and transport centre on Myanmar’s Andaman Sea coast. The wider project includes a deep sea port and power facilities, with plans also involving an oil refinery. If completed, the port could provide an alternative maritime route for some trade that currently depends heavily on the busy Strait of Malacca.
The project has existed for many years but has struggled to move forward. Financing problems, political instability, local opposition and Myanmar’s continuing conflict have repeatedly delayed construction. Russia has now emerged as an important partner in efforts to revive the project.
Myanmar and Russia signed an investment cooperation agreement in February 2025 covering the development of the Dawei economic zone, including a port and oil refinery. More recently, cooperation has expanded into energy and other infrastructure projects.
The latest military offensive is therefore closely connected to Myanmar’s broader attempt to regain control of territory and create conditions for major foreign backed investments. The military government appears to view the Dawei project as both an economic opportunity and a strategic national asset.
The timing is especially significant because Myanmar’s President Min Aung Hlaing has just completed a high profile visit to Russia. He met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on August 18, where the two sides discussed closer cooperation in energy, defence and economic development.
Russia has remained one of Myanmar’s strongest international partners since the military seized power in 2021. While Western countries have imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s military leadership, Moscow has continued to provide diplomatic and military support. Russian weapons have also played an important role in Myanmar’s military operations.
The growing relationship now appears to be moving beyond military cooperation. Russia and Myanmar have discussed oil exploration, energy projects, a nuclear power project and major infrastructure development. The Dawei port is particularly important because of its location on the Indian Ocean side of Southeast Asia.
For Myanmar’s military government, securing the Dawei area could help demonstrate that it is still capable of controlling strategically important parts of the country. It could also help attract foreign investment at a time when Myanmar remains under heavy international pressure and its economy continues to suffer from years of conflict.
But the military campaign carries a heavy humanitarian cost.
Residents in the affected areas have been forced to leave their homes as fighting has intensified. Reports of villages being burned and civilians being killed have raised fears that the push to secure land for the economic zone could create another wave of displacement in a region already badly affected by the civil war.
Resistance groups have also continued to challenge military forces in Tanintharyi. The region has become an important battlefield because of its coastline, roads and access to the wider Andaman Sea.
The Dawei project also faces a much larger problem than the immediate fighting. Even if the military manages to secure the planned site, investors will still have to consider the wider security situation, infrastructure needs, financing and the possibility of renewed conflict.
Myanmar’s other major port developments face similar challenges. China has invested heavily in the Kyaukphyu port project in western Myanmar, while Russia is increasingly interested in Dawei in the south. Both projects demonstrate how Myanmar’s coastline has become strategically important to major foreign powers.
For Russia, Dawei could provide a stronger economic presence in Southeast Asia and greater access to the Indian Ocean region. For Myanmar, Russian support offers an important source of investment and diplomatic backing while the country remains isolated from many Western governments.
However, turning Dawei into a functioning international port will require more than military control. Long term stability, local support and reliable infrastructure will be essential if the project is to attract serious international investment.
The latest offensive shows just how closely Myanmar’s economic ambitions are now tied to its civil war. The military is fighting for territory while also trying to prepare the ground for a major foreign backed development.
For the people living around Dawei, however, the immediate reality is very different. What is being presented as a future centre for trade and investment is currently surrounded by fighting, displacement and uncertainty.
The future of the Dawei project will therefore depend not only on Russian money or Myanmar’s military strength, but also on whether lasting peace can eventually be established in southern Myanmar.