Laos Enters the War, Sends Troops to Russia

In year three of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Laos has emerged as an unlikely supporter.

The country is deploying military engineers to Russia’s Kursk region, officially for “humanitarian demining” work.

But according to Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR), this is less about clearing mines and more about quietly reinforcing Russia’s war efforts under the guise of aid.

This was reported by United24 Media.

The Message Behind the Manpower

The number of troops—reportedly around 50—is small.

But that’s not the point. As HUR states, Russia is now “exploring the involvement of ‘partner’ nations under the pretense of launching humanitarian projects in Russian regions bordering Ukraine.”

The move, they say, is meant to normalize foreign troop presence on Russian soil, effectively supporting combat operations without calling it what it is.

Cold War Ties, Revived

Russia’s relationship with Laos is not new.

Diplomatic ties were officially established in 1960, and during the Cold War, the Soviet Union backed the communist Pathet Lao, offering military aid, scholarships, and political guidance.

Thousands of Lao students were sent to Soviet universities to study medicine, engineering, and Marxist ideology.

Among them was Thongloun Sisoulith, the current President of Laos and general secretary of its ruling party.

Laos-Russia Trade Deals

When the USSR collapsed, the relationship didn’t end.

It simply shifted. In 2003, Russia canceled 70 percent of Laos’s debt and restructured the rest.

Trade has remained modest—Russian machinery and oil in exchange for Lao textiles and electronics—but diplomatic ties have stayed firm, strengthened by state visits, education exchanges, and infrastructure deals.

Current Relationship

In recent years, Russia has pushed harder to reassert influence in Laos.

Since 2021, there’s been a noticeable revival of soft-power diplomacy: Russian-language centers reopened, scholarship programs resumed, and development aid reappeared.

Laos even adopted the Russian Mir payment system in 2022, a workaround to bypass Western sanctions.

Russia pledged $12 million to renovate a hospital in Vientiane, resumed direct flights, and now offers Russian tourists visa-free travel for up to 30 days.

The Meaning Behind the Deployment

Ukraine’s military intelligence describes the Lao troop presence as “a calculated move to normalize the presence of foreign troops on Russian territory.”

The goal, they argue, is to hide real military cooperation behind a humanitarian label.

HUR believes this deployment is part of a broader Russian tactic, similar to its recruitment of mercenaries from Africa and Asia and use of North Korean combat units.

Laos has also offered free medical rehabilitation for Russian soldiers wounded in Ukraine.

China, Debt, and Choosing Sides

Laos’s relationship with Russia also reflects its increasing unease with Chinese dominance.

Over the past decade, Laos has sunk into deep debt to China, mainly due to ambitious hydropower projects and the $6 billion high-speed railway linking it to the Chinese border.

According to Radio Free Asia and World Bank estimates, Laos now owes over $400 million annually in interest payments, about half of it to Beijing.

Diversification Foreign Partnerships

At the Nikkei Future of Asia conference in 2022, President Thongloun signaled that Laos was actively seeking diversification in its foreign partnerships.

“We are aware that relying on only one country’s resources is not enough,” he said.

Russia, with its more hands-off political stance and friendlier loan terms, offers a counterbalance to China’s growing grip.

A Military Relationship Built on Dependence

During a 2018 visit to Vientiane, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was told by then-Prime Minister Thongloun that “everything the Laotian armed forces now have is linked with Russia,” according to Russia’s RIA Novosti.

Since then, Russia has provided T-72B1 tanks, Mi-17V-5 helicopters, and Yak-130 trainers.

Joint military exercises, branded “Laros,” have taken place annually since 2019. Laos is also the only Southeast Asian country that permits Russian troops to train on its soil.

Victory Day Presence

In 2023, Laos even sent a Soviet-era T-34 tank to roll through Red Square during Victory Day celebrations.

In 2025, Lao troops marched beside Russian soldiers, one of the very few foreign military contingents to do so.

These acts of military camaraderie have steadily deepened the two countries’ defense alignment.

The Cost of Loyalty

Laos’s alignment with Russia has so far flown under the radar.

But as the war drags on and Russia leans harder on foreign allies, the stakes are rising.

Countries like North Korea, Iran, Syria, and Myanmar have already faced international consequences for siding with Moscow.

So far, Laos has mostly abstained from UN votes condemning Russia’s invasion.

But now, with troops on Russian soil and direct involvement in aid for wounded soldiers, it may become harder for the country to avoid diplomatic scrutiny.