Russia has failed to meet promises to deliver vital defense supplies to India, and the Indian Air Force claims the war in Ukraine has depleted Moscow’s military supplies.
An IAF statement presented before a parliamentary committee and posted on its website earlier this week said the planned “massive deliveries” of Russian equipment would not take place.
Officials blamed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine for the shortage. This is the excuse it used last year to scrap plans to procure Russian helicopters, instead switching to local production to try and fill the gap.
The report does not give details of the deliveries, but India has received a range of weapons and vehicles from Russia in recent years, including 2018 air defense systems and reserve fighter jets, including MiG-29s and Su-30MKIs. Russia has in some cases handed over reserve units to India.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin stands by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 16, 2022, before a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Sputnik/Sergey Bobylev/Pool via Reuters)
Reuters noted that the largest “ongoing delivery” from Russia to India concerns S-400 Triumf air defense system units, which India has purchased for a total of $5.4 billion. India received three of these systems and needed two more to complete the deal.
of US Treasury claims In February, it said sanctions and export controls implemented in response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine “had reduced Russia’s ability to replace more than 9,000 military equipment lost since the start of the war.”
The sanctions were also said to have “forced production shutdowns at major defense facilities and caused shortages of critical parts for the production of tanks and aircraft.”
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Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets fly over the newly built highway after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 340 km Parbanchal highway in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, northern India, 16 November 2021. I took off from the road. (Reuters/Pawan Kumar)
“Russia also ran out of ammunition and lost 50% of its tanks,” the ministry said in a statement posted online. “At the same time, our coalition provided Ukraine with the most advanced military equipment, while Russia was forced to rely on obsolete Soviet-era weapons.”
This shortage will have a significant impact on India’s plans to continue modernizing its armed forces.
A spokesman for the Russian embassy in New Delhi told Reuters there was “no information to support the statement.” Her Rosoboronexport, the Russian government’s arms export arm, said nothing on the matter.
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A Mi-17 V5 of the Indian Air Force performs in the air during the 89th Air Force Day parade at Hindon Air Force Base, Ghaziabad, India, October 8, 2021. (Reuters/Anushree Fadnabis)
According to The Defense Post, Russia accounted for more than 40% of India’s defense imports in 2017, worth about $8.5 billion out of a total of $18.3 billion spent that year.
India initially remained silent about Russia’s actions in Ukraine. abstain from voting Shortly after condemning Russian actions, he condemned Russian actions in Bucha and called for an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine.
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Over the past two decades, India has tried to cut its dependence on Russia, weakening ties that began in 1947.
Instead, India has asked its partners in the United States, France and Israel to provide the necessary equipment.
Reuters contributed to this report.
