[6] After a visit by Amílcar Cabral to Moscow in 1961, the Soviets formally established ties with the armed revolutionary group African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC).

The Soviets gave weaponry to PAIGC guerrillas, including bazookas, rocket-propelled grenades, AK-47 rifles, and eventually (shortly after the assassination of Amílcar Cabral) Strela-2 missiles.

[7] The "huge stockpile of Soviet-made weapons and ammunition" in the county fell into the hands of rebels led by Ansumane Mané during the Guinea-Bissau Civil War (1998–1999).

Russia condemned the assassination, and in noting its solidarity with the views of the African Union, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it is "against the forceful change of power".

[14] In May 2024, Guinea-Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embalo was the highest ranking African politician attending Russian Victory Day parade in Moscow.