Myanmar's military government has lost large areas of territory, had thousands of soldiers surrender, and just forced civilians to join the army for the first time—major setbacks that are reshaping a civil war now in its sixth year since a military coup in February 2021.

The shift began in late October 2023, when three ethnic military groups launched a surprise coordinated attack in northeastern Myanmar. The offensive broke what had been a stalled war. By late 2024, AP News reported that rebel forces were making real progress toward removing the junta from power.

A Military Losing Ground

Throughout 2023 and 2024, Myanmar's military—called the Tatmadaw—lost control of territory in multiple places. The hardest hit was the northeast. In August 2024, the military lost radio contact with its main headquarters in a town called Lashio in Shan State, AP News reported. This wasn't just a territorial loss. It meant the military's central command—the system that keeps an army organized and coordinated—was breaking down.

What happened next was even more striking. By February 2024, thousands of soldiers gave up without fighting. Six military generals surrendered without resistance. In Myanmar's history since independence, generals have never done this before.

The groups fighting the military are not one unified army. They include the People's Defence Force (armed opposition to the coup), older ethnic resistance groups, and powerful ethnic minority militias with their own command structures and goals. AP News noted in May 2024 that ethnic armed groups form the backbone of the anti-junta fighting force.

How the Military Is Responding

With soldiers leaving or surrendering, the military did something it had never done before: in February 2024, it forced civilians to join the army. This is called conscription—mandatory military service. The move showed how much the voluntary army had shrunk.

On the battlefield, the military is using new tactics. Reuters reported in December 2025 that the junta is sending soldiers forward in large waves and using armed drones. These tactics sacrifice careful strategy for overwhelming force.

The military's situation is difficult and getting worse. Forcing people to join the army can provide more soldiers, but it does not create experienced, loyal troops. When generals surrender without a fight, it shows the whole system is breaking.

What happens next depends on what the opposition groups do. Some ethnic groups want their own autonomous regions within Myanmar. Others want to remove the military government entirely. These groups agree on fighting the junta, but they disagree on what comes after. That disagreement may be the military's only remaining hope.