Moscow (TDI): Russia and India are holding talks on the potential supply of additional S-400 surface-to-air missile systems.
“India already possesses our S-400 system. There is potential to expand cooperation in this field as well, which means new deliveries. For now, we are at the negotiation stage,” Russian media quoted Dmitry Shugayev, head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, as saying.
New Delhi signed a $5.5 billion agreement with Moscow in 2018 for five units of the S-400 Triumf long-range air defense system, intended to strengthen India’s defenses against potential threats from China.
However, the schedule has faced repeated delays, with the final two systems now expected to be delivered in 2026 and 2027.
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The latest disclosure comes shortly after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China.
Modi emphasized that New Delhi and Moscow “stand together even in difficult times,” while Putin described him as a “dear friend.”
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Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Moscow valued India’s refusal to bow to US pressure to reduce purchases of Russian energy and defense equipment.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia accounted for 36% of India’s arms imports between 2020 and 2024, followed closely by France at 33% and Israel at 13%.
