[9] In 1970, the first group of Soviet students came to study Malay at the University of Malaya, among them Tatiana Dorofeeva, Tamara Reshetova, Victor A. Pogadaev and Anatoly Voronkov.

[15] However, relations between the two recovered following the end of the Soviet-Afghan war, and both countries worked to repair diplomatic, economic, and military ties under Mikhail Gorbachev and Mahathir Mohamad.

Several Malaysian Prime Ministers have made official visits to Moscow throughout the Cold War, including Tun Abdul Razak in 1972 and Mahathir Mohamad in 1985 and 1987.

During his official visit, Putin conferred the Order of Friendship to Mahathir in recognition of his contribution to strengthening the friendly ties between the two countries and to the cause of global stability and inter-religious accord while a contract was signed to supply the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) with 18 Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter aircraft.

Putin participated in the first Russia-ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur and had a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in December 2005.

In 2012, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak met Putin during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Russia to expand trade relations and to discover other opportunities for business partnership.

[22] On early August 2019 the Russian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur was one of those affected by two online bomb threats which were posted on Twitter; the other being KL Sentral which is the capital city's transport hub.

[26][27] On 19 May 2007, Allahyarham Jamaluddin Jarjis then Malaysia's Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation announced that two Malaysian candidates for astronauts (Faiz Khaleed and Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor) will undergo training in Moscow as part of a billion-dollar deal for 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter jets.

[33][34] In October 2024, corvettes Aldar Tsydenzhapov, Gromkiy and Rezkiy, along with replenishment oiler Pechanga, docked in George Town where the crews attended a ceremony to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Battle of Penang.