The Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, has reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to strengthening its long-standing defence cooperation with Russia.

Kiwanuka was speaking during a meeting with a delegation from the Russian Armed Forces at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs headquarters in Mbuya, Kampala.

“We will maintain our relationship with Russia, and we will remain engaged. We are not going to get distracted,” said Kiwanuka.

He described Uganda-Russia relations as “longstanding and strong,” citing the cordial ties that have continued to define the bilateral relationship over the years.

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Kiryowa expressed Uganda’s “openness to mutually beneficial business opportunities and cooperation with Russia” particularly in areas of shared interest.

Russian Military and Air Attaché to Uganda, Colonel Dmitrii Borisenko, appreciated the cordial relations between the two countries and reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to deepening military-to-military cooperation with Uganda.

In October 2025, Russia provided $53 million in military equipment support to Uganda.

As part of their partnership, Russia and Uganda exchange technical experts, with UPDF introducing Russian language courses at military schools to ease communication and training.