Politics
Indian Ammunition Diverted to Ukraine: Russia Upset Over Arms Transfers
Indian Ammunition Diverted to Ukraine: Russia Upset Over Arms Transfers
European buyers have been selling Indian artillery shells—which are restricted to being sold to the original buyers—to Ukraine instead of the country’s local armaments manufacturers.
These transfers, which have been going on for more than a year, have not seen New Delhi’s intervention, despite Moscow’s concerns, according to Reuters, which cited 11 officials from the European and Indian governments and defense industries as well as commercially accessible customs data.
The weapons, which were meant to aid in Ukraine’s defense against Russia, have been transported through European countries like the Czech Republic and Italy.
Despite the fact that the laws governing arms export from India forbid the sales or transfer of weapons without permission, sources claim that India has done nothing official to halt the supply.
According to reports, Russia has brought up the matter several times, most notably when Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, met with his colleague from India in July.
Despite the fact that India has not directly sent Ukraine weapons, customs records and defense sources indicate that European buyers of Indian ammunition have been sending it to Kyiv.
It has been determined that the Czech Republic and Italy are major participants in this movement. Companies like Meccanica per l’Elettronica e Servomeccanismi (MES) in Italy buy artillery rounds from India, which are then packed with explosives and sent to Ukraine.
Indian exports of armaments components to European countries have increased dramatically, according to data, from $2.8 million in February 2022 to $135.25 million in July 2024.
The absence of intervention is seen to be primarily motivated by India’s expanding aspirations to export defense equipment.
The Indian government is purportedly keeping an eye on the matter, but it hasn’t taken any action to stop the supply of weapons going to Europe.
This circumspect stance is consistent with India’s larger geopolitical plan, which aims to strike a balance between New Delhi’s ties to Moscow and its partners in the West, including the US.
India views the present turmoil in Ukraine as a chance to grow its arms export industry, despite its historical links to Russia.
India’s defense exports have increased significantly, topping $2.5 billion in the most recent fiscal year, and the country wants to reach $6 billion by 2029.
There is recognition among certain Indian officials that there might have been end-user agreement violations in the midst of the tremendous growth in armament shipments.
On the other hand, they contend that the quantity of Indian weapons that make it to Ukraine is still very small—roughly 1% of all the weapons that Kiev has imported since the war started.
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Experts claim that by sending weapons to Ukraine, India has been able to demonstrate its neutrality in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
These deviations, according to Walter Ladwig, a South Asia security specialist at King’s College London, hint that India is not entirely in line with Russia, even though Moscow has been its main arms supplier for many years.
