File Photo of Major Kyaw Zaw Ye
Mizzima
Myanmar’s Military Council has recently purchased advanced drones from Russia and Belarus, and a confidant of junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was mainly involved in the purchase, according to a Mizzima investigations.
On April 20, 15 UAV drones as well as drone guards arrived in Myanmar and Major Kyaw Zaw Ye, one of the confidants of the junta leader, was instrumental in the acquisition of drones and has taken command of drone units.
The purchased UAV drones have fixed wings, a vertical takeoff, and the ability to avoid anti-drone jammers. A drone guard is a counter-drone system that can detect drones’ communication data link, and perform classification and tracking.
The junta’s drone units are under the direct command of Colonel Kyaw Myo Aung, who has received postgraduate education from Russia and is a junior to Major Kyaw Zaw Ye.
A DVB news report states that the drone units have been organized at the No. 5 Air Defense Operations Command (La Sa Kha-5) based in Hmawbi and a training programme has been in place since April 26. La Sa Kha (5) has its battalions in Yangon and Bago Regions.
According to DVB, a drone training course is being taken by some officers and other ranks from the infantry and light infantry battalions involved in the operations under 11th, 66th and 77th Divisions.
Major Kyaw Zaw Ye (DSA 47) is one of the few confidants who have access to the house and office of Min Aung Hlaing, and is fluent in the Russian language. He maintains a low profile while playing a significant part in the smuggling network of importing fuels including diesel for the Myanmar junta through Singapore and Thailand.
He also serves as the head of the Military Council’s propaganda group that disseminates misleading information and fake news from the 11th division in Intai. That group has been working hard to write comments in the media and distributes false information about revolutionary forces and individuals opposing the Military Council through social networks like Telegram.
After Mizzima conducted an investigation and identified him as “Major Kyaw Zaw Ye, a leader of a propaganda group and an insider of Min Aung Hlaing,” Major Kyaw Zaw Ye, who usually wears plain clothes, appears to have been relocated for security reasons.
