Kampala, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | The Russian government has provided the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) with a donation of $100 million (approximately Shs 370 billion), following directives from President Vladimir Putin.
This military aid follows a meeting between President Museveni and President Putin in St. Petersburg last year.
High placed sources indicate that Russia has identified Uganda as a significant strategic partner on the African continent.
A high-ranking defense official confirmed that Uganda received notification of this donation earlier this week.
A senior defense official reported that Uganda was notified about the donation this week.
At the previous Russia-Africa Summit, President Museveni conducted private discussions with President Putin.
Significantly, the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, accompanied President Museveni during this delegation.
Recently, Gen. Kainerugaba, who also serves as the Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, posted a photo and message on his X account, indicating that he had visited Moscow.
“Earlier this year, the Commander-in-Chief allowed me to lead a military delegation to Moscow. While we were there, we couldn’t miss visiting the mausoleum of Lenin. Lenin is the grandfather of all revolutionaries on earth. For us, African patriots, it’s like visiting Jerusalem.”
In Kampala, the Chief of Defence Forces has engaged in discussions with various Russian military officials. The most recent of these meetings occurred at the Special Forces Command (SFC) headquarters in Entebbe, where he met with a delegation dispatched by the Russian Defence Minister.
On Thursday, Muhoozi held talks with a senior Russian military delegation at the SFC headquarters in Entebbe.
Defense Cooperation
The delegation, headed by Volodin Vyacheslav, was dispatched by the Russian Minister of Defence to discuss opportunities for strengthening the partnership between the Russian Armed Forces and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
Volodin Vyacheslav, the Head of the Technical Delegation from the Russian Ministry of Defence, met with Gen. Muhoozi in Entebbe on Thursday. This development underscores the growing military cooperation between Uganda and Russia.
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Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been established since October 13, 1962. Uganda also hosts a representative office of Rostec, Russia’s state corporation, which promotes the interests of Rosoboronexport within the country.
Last year, Russia committed to making Uganda a regional hub for the development, upgrading, and maintenance of Russian military equipment and technology. Uganda continues to purchase military hardware such as jets, helicopters, artillery, and reconnaissance equipment from Russia.
In addition, the Russians operate the Pro Heli Plant International Services at Nakasongola Air Base in central Uganda. President Museveni recently oversaw the commissioning of the first-ever overhauled and upgraded Russian-type helicopter in sub-Saharan Africa at this facility.
In May 2023, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Kampala and Moscow would deepen their collaboration in satellite development, remote sensing, and land and space infrastructure for both military and civilian purposes.
