Residents from about 20 villages along the Chindwin River in Mingin Township, Sagaing Region fled their homes on 19 July 2025, as a junta flotilla escorted by air cover passed the villages.

The flotilla, made up of three large vessels fully loaded with soldiers, ammunition and supplies and about 30 small armoured troop carriers had set off travelling upstream from Sagaing Region’s largest city, Monywa, in early July. It entered Mingin Township on 19 July. The flotilla has been causing residents living near the river to flee as it passes through, according to a member of Homalin People’s Defence force (PDF).

He said to KNG: “We’ve received intel that the junta’s vessels have already passed Mingin and are heading toward Kalewa Township. If they’ve passed Kalewa, they’ll be getting pretty close to Homalin Township. Villages along the riverbanks in the area have started evacuating.”

As the flotilla makes its way upstream junta aircraft providing security have been carrying out arbitrary airstrikes on villages along the riverbanks and the junta has also randomly fired mortars into villages from its vessels. This has caused residents of about 20 villages to flee their homes.

Amongst the affected villages are: Kyaungtawoo, Taungyartaw, Chaungwa, and Kapyitwa in Mingin Township, and Kinywar, Shwetaung, and Sapkyi in Kalewa Township.

It is believed that the flotilla is heading towards either Homalin Township or Hkamti Township, both of which are in Sagaing Region. It has now left Mingin Township and is travelling through Kalewa Township from where it will continue to Mawlaik, Paungbyin and Shwe Pyi Aye, which is under resistance control and heavily fortified.

About 80 cargo ships that normally transport goods from Monywa upstream to Homalin Town are now trapped in Homalin Town because they cannot go back downriver because of the junta flotilla moving up the Chindwin River. This has caused shortages of some supplies and price rises.

A woman from Homalin Town said: “There’s a total shortage of things like dry noodles and eggs in town right now. No ships are daring enough to go downstream because of the junta vessels. At the moment, there are around 80 to 100 cargo ships stuck in Homalin Town. Merchants have noticed that imported goods aren’t coming in yet, so they’ve raised their prices, and that’s causing prices to skyrocket.”

During 2024 the junta sent reinforcements up the Chindwin River from Monywa to Homalin and Hkamti townships several times, but this is the first time it has done so in 2025.

In Homalin Township, Shwe Pyi Aye Town and most villages west and south of Homalin Town are controlled by resistance forces. Many villages in Paungbyin Township, east of Homalin Township, are also held by the resistance. There is speculation that the junta is sending reinforcements up the river as a prelude to it attempting to retake those areas.