Ye Win Oo Era: Extravagant Aircraft Use Despite Backend Support

Despite Excessive Aircraft Use Under Ye Win Oo, the Dry Zone Holds Firm

Following the leadership changes within the coup military, the suppression of civilians on the ground and the brutal tactics have become more intense and repulsive than before. After Min Aung Hlaing made a sham transition to civilian president in April 2026, his trusted right-hand man Ye Win Oo assumed leadership of the military.

Under this new leadership, a rapid shift in operational tactics can be observed. On the ground, regime forces are no longer just engaging in indiscriminate, reckless violence as before, but are increasingly carrying out targeted arrests, arson, and abductions with greater frequency.

Since February 2024, direct attacks targeting civilians have reached their highest level. "On the ground, the fighting is intense. It's clear the military doesn't have the upper hand on the ground. When dropping bombs, they don't avoid areas where civilians are present. It's the same as before," a military source based in Magway told MyoTaw.

The military is also employing more lethal new methods in its aerial attacks. Special task forces comprising two to five jet fighters are conducting continuous bombing runs on a single target, approximately 30 to 40 times. As a result, civilian casualties and infrastructure damage have increased significantly, according to data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).

Furthermore, to break the morale of civilians, they have deliberately targeted weddings, religious festivals, schools, hospitals, and monasteries and churches where war-displaced people are sheltering.

In the first half of 2026 alone, the military committed no fewer than 12 mass killings, resulting in the deaths of over 450 civilians. Particularly in the Dry Zone regions, including Sagaing, Magway, and Mandalay, scorched-earth tactics involving burning and destruction have been suffered most severely. In the Magway area, the coup military is no longer launching offensives with forces of 100 to 200 troops as before, but is now attempting to gain ground superiority with columns of approximately 400 to 500 troops.

"The fighting is also intense in Sagaing and along the Kachin border. It's true that the aerial threat has increased under Ye Win Oo, who is under Min Aung Laing. Casualties are also very high. Since the results on the ground aren't good, they're people who rely on aircraft," another military source told MyoTaw.

Beyond this suppression on the ground, in urban areas such as Yangon, Mandalay, and Ayeyarwady, they are establishing a digital authoritarian system using technology acquired from China. Using AI-powered surveillance cameras and a Person Surveillance and Monitoring System (PSMS), they are linking with registration data and biometric data to track and arrest those who support revolutionary forces.

From 2024 to May 2026, more than 20,000 people were arrested solely for online postings, with the majority occurring during the period of the new leadership transition.

Although the military is accelerating its use of air power and technology-based surveillance, on the ground it continues to face stiff resistance from revolutionary forces.

According to statements from the National Unity Government and the Magway Regional Military Command of the People's Defence Force (PDF), recent battles within Magway Region have seen the coup military suffering significant losses and being forced to retreat.

On July 16, 2026, when a column of approximately 300 troops under Division 99, departing from Laung Shein battle zone in Saw Township toward Saw town, was ambushed by PDF district commands and battalion forces, it suffered heavy losses and was forced to retreat back to Laung Shein town.

During the pursuit and clearance operations against the retreating column, numerous military supplies were seized, including three vehicles carrying enemy ammunition and rations.

Then, on July 25, that same column launched a second offensive with approximately 180 troops and aerial support, but due to fierce resistance from Magway Region military command battalion forces, it suffered losses and was forced to retreat once again.

Fighting remains intense to this day, and during this operation, the military side also captured 9 prisoners of war. During these battles, the PDFs seized MA-1, MA-3 rifles, shotguns, RPG launchers, tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, various types of mines, drone bombs, innovative technology-based drone jammers, controllers, Starlink internet devices, as well as large quantities of rations.

Under the new-style leadership of Min Aung Hlaing and Ye Win Oo, the military is combining intense air power, Chinese-technology-based digital surveillance, and scorched-earth tactics to suppress the people more brutally in an attempt to regain control of territories. However, on the ground, they continue to face heavy losses due to the vigorous resistance of revolutionary forces.

MyoTaw News Channel