Myanmar's civil war, now in its sixth year since the military's 2021 coup against Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, has reached a stalemate, though anti-junta resistance forces appear to be slowly gaining the upper hand — controlling roughly four-fifths of the country's territory while the junta retains most major towns. Two factors continue to hobble the opposition: the military's use of Russian- and Chinese-supplied aircraft and drones to retake strategic positions, and a historically fragmented alliance of some 16 resistance groups that have struggled to coordinate, though a newly formed steering committee may change that in the coming months. With over 90,000 people killed and three million displaced since the coup, analysts say China's future alignment will be pivotal — a shift in Beijing's support from the junta to the National Unity Government (the civilian shadow administration opposing military rule) could prove decisive in ending the conflict.