By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
Russia (Dawan Africa) 27 May 2026 Russian Deputy Defence Minister Vasily Osmakov held talks in Moscow with Somalia’s State Minister of Defence Omar Ali Abdi, where the two sides discussed prospects for expanding bilateral defence cooperation, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence.
In a statement, the Russian Defence Ministry said the officials reviewed “promising areas of bilateral cooperation in the defence sphere” during the meeting.
“The parties confirmed their commitment to developing constructive dialogue and mutual interest in the gradual strengthening of military ties,” the ministry said.
The Russian statement did not disclose specific agreements, military assistance packages, or defence contracts resulting from the talks.
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Photos released by the Russian Defence Ministry showed officials from both countries participating in formal discussions at a ministry facility in Moscow.
The meeting comes amid growing diplomatic engagement between Moscow and Mogadishu. Earlier this month, Russian Ambassador to Somalia Mikhail Golovanov met Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Mogadishu, where the Somali leader confirmed his participation in the third Russia–Africa Summit scheduled for October 2026.
Russia has increasingly sought to expand its political, economic, and security partnerships across Africa in recent years, while Somalia continues to strengthen defence and security cooperation with a range of international partners as it battles the Al-Shabaab insurgency.
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