[1] Relations were not formally established until 1944, at the final stages of World War II, when the Russian Empire was already succeeded by the Soviet Union.

[2] Recent years saw relations deteriorating, as Costa Rica condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

[3] In March 2023, the International Court of Justice issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova for child abductions in the Russo-Ukrainian War.

In response, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs targeted numerous judges involved in issuing the arrest warrant against Putin by including them on Russia's wanted list; one of those judges being Costa Rican-born Sergio Ugalde.

[4] The Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica condemned the "persecution" against Ugalde, and urged the national government to take all possible measures to safeguard the judge's physical integrity.