Vietnam strengthening military ties with Russia as US relations falter, investigation claims

Hacked Rostec files and conversations with officials revealed covert defense purchases by Vietnam, including a deal worth $8 billion which included 40 new Sukhoi Su-35 and Su-40 fighter jets.

Vietnam and Russia have rekindled their military and political ties, according to a sweeping New York Times study which detailed clandestine arms purchases and concealed financial flows facilitated through third-party intermediary networks.

After a period of warming ties in relations with Washington under former US President Joe Biden, Hanoi has drawn closer to Moscow – a shift analysts attribute partly to turbulence in US policy under President Donald Trump, whose administration has repeatedly unsettled the relationship.

Experts cited by the paper said Vietnamese officials now view Moscow as a more trustworthy partner than Washington, arguing that erratic US foreign policy has adversely affected Vietnam’s economy.

While Vietnam suspended major defense purchases from Russia early in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, documents obtained by NYT show that by 2024 it had resumed negotiations for major arms contracts – a process which accelerated following Trump’s return to office.

The findings stem from internal papers from the Russian military exporter Rostec and interviews with officials from Vietnam, the US and several other nations.

The investigation uncovered a string of covert transactions, a resurgence in weapons procurement and a notable diplomatic shift as Hanoi distances itself from Washington and reaffirms ties with Moscow.

According to the report, this realignment is part of Russia’s broader effort to reassert its geopolitical influence in the region.

By mid-2025, speculation was swirling in Vietnamese military circles about significant new deals for Russian air and naval defense systems, likely in defiance of global sanctions, NYT reported.

One spreadsheet seen by the paper at the time showed Vietnam buying an electronic warfare system for the Su-35, Sukhoi’s advanced multirole fighter jet.

A senior Vietnamese military source confirmed that Hanoi was exploring options to modernize its ageing fleet of fighter jets and helicopters, some of which date back to the 1980s.

A US congressional official told the paper that lawmakers were briefed in 2025 on a classified assessment of Vietnam’s military acquisitions and upgrades of naval and air defenses.

This reflected a growing sense of unease after failed attempts to expand US arms sales to the country.

In October, a pro-Ukrainian hacker collective released about 1,000 internal Rostec files, in which Vietnam appeared discreetly as Customer 704.

These documents confirmed an order for nine electronic warfare systems for the Su-35, along with a set of 26 components for ground-based jammers, the latter valued at $190 million.

Rostec records also reportedly included references to Vietnam’s search for new “anti-submarine helicopters” and advanced periscopes for submarines.

Hanoi has not publicly acknowledged any such purchases nor any order for Russian jets.

Military analysts told NYT that these deals could constitute Vietnam’s most substantial defense acquisition in years.

Several Vietnamese officials confirmed the purchase to NYT. One said that the overall agreement was worth $8 billion and encompassed 40 new fighter jets.

Rostec’s internal correspondence included employee complaints over delayed payments, which were allegedly rerouted through third-party firms to sidestep international sanctions against Russia.

In 2023, a Vietnamese Finance Ministry document outlined a mechanism for channeling payments via a Russian-Vietnamese oil and gas joint venture. Other Rostec files pointed to additional military-technical joint ventures, according to NYT.

Bilateral relations between Washington and Hanoi reached their peak in 2023, when the Biden administration elevated the partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership and welcomed a presidential visit.

Trump’s return to power has disrupted that trajectory, reversing decades of gradual rapprochement with a wave of protectionist policies that have frustrated Vietnamese officials, according to NYT.

These include cuts to foreign aid and a proposed April tariff of 46 percent on Vietnamese goods, though this was later shaved down to 20 percent. US tariffs on furniture, a growing industry being cultivated by Vietnam, were another painful blow.

Vietnamese officials complained that US negotiators frequently shifted positions or made assurances they did not honor, blindsiding Hanoi, the paper reported.

As relations sour, Hanoi is increasingly turning to Moscow, which it views as more dependable.

“The US. must accept that Vietnam’s defense transition to a more diversified source of supply is a long-term process,” said one Vietnamese military official speaking to NYT.

“It cannot be done overnight. Instead of pressuring Vietnam to stop purchasing weapons from Russia, the US. should boost cooperation in non-military sectors.”

Earlier this month, a Kremlin propagandist said that Russia should build its image on the strength of its military might, urging his homeland to “stop being modest.”

By Antonia Langford – Kyivpost.com – October 27, 2025