The country has paused construction on a naval base in Sudan, initially slated for completion this year or next, citing concerns that ongoing instability and uneven power dynamics in the country could derail the project.
Russian Ambassador to Sudan Andrey Chernovol told Sputnik, “Given the current military conflict, movement on this issue has for now been halted.”
Strategic Significance of Port Sudan
The deal, initially reached in 2020, would have allowed Russia to establish a logistics hub for up to four warships and 300 military personnel, along with the right to bring weapons, equipment, ammunition, air defense systems, and electronic warfare tools.
Located on the Red Sea, the base would provide Moscow with strategic oversight of the Suez Canal corridor, which handles around 10 percent of global trade.
Project Delays and Political Shifts
Plans stalled after former President Omar al-Bashir was ousted in 2019, leaving the project in limbo. When government forces regained control of Khartoum, the international airport, and key military installations in February 2025, Sudan’s foreign minister Ali Yousef Al-Sharif announced that the two countries had agreed “on everything” regarding the base’s creation.
Shifting Alliances in the Conflict
Russia initially backed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) rebels through Wagner mercenaries, but later shifted support to the Sudanese army as the conflict evolved.
At the time, military analyst Viktor Murakhovsky said the Port Sudan base would restore Russia’s naval presence in the Indian Ocean, which was lost after the collapse of the USSR, when Moscow operated bases in Somalia and Ethiopia.
Challenges Remain
Despite these ambitions, the ongoing civil war and regional instability have again stalled the project, highlighting the challenges Russia faces in projecting military power in Africa.
